One Girl Revolution
by Starlightmonkey
Summary: She’s a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what’s she doing at the bottom again?
1. Meet Mary Sue

**Summary:** She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note:** Hiya everyone! This is my second attempt at a Beyblade fic (which I really shouldn't be starting because I haven't updated my other one in months…do you feel the guilt?) and it's my first at a completely AU story so hopefully it'll be alright. I'm going to be using the main protagonist from my other story but she's had a total personality overhaul and has a different last name and I might use a couple of other characters too! Um, that's it really so if you could review after reading it would be fantastic and let me know if I should continue with this! Have fun reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

* * *

**Chapter One – Meet Mary Sue**

Sunlight streamed serenely through the white chiffon curtains that adorned the long crystal clear panes of glass, fashioned into floor length windows and French doors that extended along one wall of the cavernous room. It basked the area with a strong and natural glow, speaking in a voice of summer and new beginnings, and emphasized the beauty that the new day promised.

The pure splendor and serenity of such a scene was, however, completely and utterly lost on the only occupant of the bedroom. The resident was currently buried and entangled deep beneath the white feather down doona and sheets of the Queen sized bed, the soft brown, faux mink fur throw discarded on the Persian rug that covered the surrounding black marble floor extending underneath the bed.

An almost inaudible and rhythmic breathing was the only thing that could be heard from within the confines of the extravagantly large, but highly unique, bedroom, adding to the peaceful ambiance that was presently conjured. The sweet resonance of birds signing their melodious and lullaby like tunes could faintly be heard from the tall cherry blossom trees that could be viewed standing tall just beyond the borders and to the right of the semi-circular balcony the huge French doors opened onto. They also added to the construction of the fairytale picture that was occurring at the precise moment. All together the panorama and atmosphere was one of wholesome and unadulterated harmony.

The tranquility and calmness was not to last though, and was soon destroyed by the music blaring from the platinum alarm clock positioned on the glass and wrought iron table beside the bed.

"_Approval is your sword  
Popularity your crown  
But I'm not one of your subjects, you can't bring me down  
You say I lose your approval if I'm not cool like you  
Well, here's a newsflash for you - I've got nothing to lose  
Your laughter is hallow because I don't care  
You look down on me, but I'm not there  
I've got nothing to prove and nothing to lose  
Nothing to prove and nothing to lose"_

A slight groaning sound could be heard issuing from the twitching human lump located under the twisted mass of white Egyptian cotton bed ware. The noise intensified as a slightly tanned, creamy arm could be seen fighting its way from the tousled mess of blankets and attempting to find the source of the disturbance. Upon contact with the cool metal object, the hand attached to the arm curled into a tight fist and with surprising strength smashed down upon the offending article.

For a few blissful seconds the music dimmed and quietude reigned once more in the morning air. Then all of a sudden, the loud beat of the composition could be heard again, shattering the perfect sleeping conditions as the alarm clock recovered from the abuse it had just previously suffered.

With an almost feral growl, the slender arm and hand combination was once again sent to quell the callous racket. After another brutal attack, this time failing in the quest to stem the booming and invading din, the hand succeeded in encircling the silver clock. With a violent tug and artful fling of the arm, the expensive timepiece could be seen sailing through the air and landing with a reverberating 'CRASH' on the polished marble floor, an impressive five metres from its original position.

A contented sigh escaped from the person, cocooned and protected from the approaching day by the doona and sheets, as they tried to resume their relaxing slumber.

Barley a minute had passed, however, when the regal carved mahogany double doors that connected the room to the outside hallway were flung open with an echoing 'BOOM' and a tall and chic looking woman bounded into the bedroom. With the agility and speed of an athlete, she quickly covered the vast expanse of floor that separated the entranceway from the bed, and jumped with enthusiasm onto what was presumably a living being beneath the white coverings.

"Morning sunshine! It's time to get up now!" the lady exclaimed in a highly chipper voice while bouncing up and down on the bed.

"Urgh…go away," was the clearly sleep addled response.

"Nope! Can't do that sorry! You need to get up now or else you'll be late!" she continued on in the same annoyingly cheerful and fast-paced voice.

"Sleep…is good."

"C'mon! You can't be late on the first day of school! Do you know what happens to people when their late on their first day to a new school?" the woman questioned, ignoring the grunted protests to her bouncing.

"It's shorter?" the muffled voice inquired, while desperately trying to hold on to the rapidly departing ability to fall back into the land of dreams.

"Well yeah, but apart from that, their labeled as 'The Late Girl'. Yep, you heard me right. So, not only do you have a stupid nickname for the rest of the year but all of the teachers gang up on you because you're _that_ girl, the one who's always late."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Sure it does, trust me. As someone who has lived longer than you, you must accept my wisdom as fact and know that I speak only the truth. Being 'The Late Girl' has dire and horrific consequences. So, get up already!"

"Uh-huh, thank-you for that enlightening advice sensei I'm sure that you've outdone yourself this time. Now what are the chances of you leaving me along so that I can resume my dream where I live in a world where I'm supreme ruler of the Universe and have the right to smite all those who dare wake me?"

"Wishful thinking, and you have a precisely slim to none possibility of that happening."

"Just five more minutes please? It's not even 7 yet."

"Your right, it's not 7. That was half an hour ago."

No reply met this declaration for numerous seconds until –

"What?!" a mussed head of blond hair was suddenly visible in the centre of the mattress as the covers were forcefully pushed aside. The woman had stopped her bouncing and had put a hand out to steady herself at the unexpected action. Not even a second later a hiss was expelled from the lips of the disoriented girl as she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness of the room. "The light!"

"What are you a vampire?"

"As a matter of fact yes. I unexpectedly developed a severe case of vampirism yesterday that has made me extremely sensitive to that vile creation known as sunlight. Quick! Shut the curtains or else your darling daughters going to be turned into dust," the girl theatrically cried.

"Really? In that case I must remember to buy a wooden stake, a cross, and a string of garlic," the lady played along.

"And pray tell, why would you require such items?"

"Self-protection of course! Hey, I'm all about accepting your new state of being and promoting equality among the races, but you've gotta be crazy if you think I wouldn't stake you if you tried to suck my blood!"

"Such love."

"Survival of the fittest, baby."

"I'm sure Darwin would be proud. Anyway I think my vampish ways may have been a passing phase."

"Are you sure? Do you feel susceptible to the light? Any weird partiality to hunting at night? How about elongated canines? No insatiable cravings for human blood?"

"No, I'm good."

"Well, that's a relief. I really didn't want to have to kill you," the woman looked at her daughter with affectionate eyes before adding, "I mean, I could get serious time for matricide for that you know?"

"It's nice to know that you care about my safety and wellbeing over that of your own mommy dearest," the blond replied sarcastically.

"And I repeat; survival of the fittest."

The girl just stared at her mother with an unimpressed expression. The woman before her was in her mid-thirties and had short, shoulder length, chaotically styled fire engine red hair and bright cyan eyes. The contrast was startling but worked in her favour, giving her a very distinct and appealing look. She possessed stunningly clear skin and pouty lips that only added to her attractiveness, renowned as it was. She was quite tall, standing at a height of 5'8 with a perfectly sculpted body and curves in all the right places.

There was absolutely no denying it; Akiko Avalon was most definitely a beauty and a yummy mummy.

Coupled with these becoming features was her innate sense of style and her fluency in all things fashion. She had the flair and finesse to pull off almost any outfit and wasn't scared of trying either, considering herself to still be young enough to enjoy the more courageous side to the world of fashion. And the world loved her for it.

She had made a career in the creative intellect of the fashion world, first as a supermodel and then as a world acclaimed fashion designer. Even now though, she still indulged in walking the catwalk and posing for the cameras heeding to the mantra 'If you've got it flaunt it!'. She also exuded an air of confidence and had a laid back and charismatic personality that made her easy to work with and an insane amount of fun.

She really was an extraordinary person.

The elder Avalon returned the gaze of her golden haired offspring with one of sheer innocence.

"Anyway, moving on," the redhead said, "It is now," she consulted her watch, "7:40 am and we have to leave in half an hour, so up and atom!"

She resumed her zealous bouncing in an effort to coax the girl away from the warm bed.

"Just how much coffee have you had this morning?" the blond asked while narrowing her eyes in suspicion at the supposed parental figure.

"One."

"Plus…"

"Five."

"Well, that explains the ADHD then," the 15 year old muttered as she finally extracted herself from her blankets and got up, "I still can't believe my alarm didn't go off at 7. I had a whole plan worked out. I was going to get up early, have breakfast and find the perfect outfit to wear, do my hair, make-up…argh this sucks! Now I'm gonna have to do the Betty Crocker version of that! I am so done with plans. I am never ever making one again. It never works. I spend the day obsessing over why it didn't work and what I could've done differently. I'm analysing all my shortcomings when all I really need to be doing is vowing to never ever make a plan ever again, which I'm doing now. Having, once again, been the innocent victim of my own stupid plans. God, I need some coffee."

"Now, now, you can't really blame the clock. It did go off at 7, several times in fact, but _someone_ kept hitting the snooze button. Although I do agree with the whole never making plans again spiel and the need for that glorious substance known as coffee."

"Addict," the blond replied, "And the clock should have tried harder! I am _so_ never buying anything just because it's shiny again."

"Mmhmm, keep telling yourself that," was the amused reply as Akiko got off the bed and preceded towards the door, "Just hurry up."

"It takes time to look good y'know. Perfection is an art after all," was the answer from her now fully cognizant daughter.

"I know, I am a living example of it," the elder quipped before exiting the bedroom.

"Modest too," was the mumbled retort as the young girl made her way to her private bathroom.

* * *

Kurumi Avalon surveyed herself in the floor length mirror that stood against the wall in one of her many closets. She examined her appearance to make sure that she was acceptably dressed and that her hairstyle matched with the outfit she was wearing.

Her reflection stared back at her and she gave an approving nod.

If there was one thing to be said about the girl, it was that she had definitely scored in the gene pool. She had inherited from her mother the to-die for figure and long legs that she was famous for (although Kurumi only stood about 5'4, she still held hope of having a growth spurt), and the full pink lips that were most comfortable when falling into a smile. From her father, she had obtained gorgeously high cheek bones and a complexion that looked like it was airbrushed on.

The youngest Avalon also had a head of blond hair, the same colour as rays of sunshine, which reached to her mid-back and was like liquid gold. Finishing off her look, and what was without a doubt the most mesmerising feature about her, was her extraordinary eyes. They were like big and bright jewels, coloured the most beguiling mix of blue, green and purple, that sparkled and danced with the intensity of the stars. They were captivating, enthralling, and a complete anomaly in her family, bar her great, great grandmother.

Finally satisfied with her choices, Kurumi turned around and inquired of her audience,

"So, what do you think?"

Liquid black eyes stared directly at her as the spectator appraised the outfit the girl was currently donning. A black stretch t-shirt covered a leopard print singlet top, the bottom of which was visible over the top of the black denim shorts, turned up at the bottom, which showed most of her legs in a tasteful manner. Her golden hair was left in its natural state, slightly wavy and flowing, mainly due to the time restrictions she had to work in, with a blue velvet men's tie fixed around her head like a headband. It also remained parted on the right with her long fringe side swept. On her feet she sported a pair of 4' Christian Louboutin round toed high heels, made out of the same luxurious material as the tie, which she had customized with skull and cross bone Swarovski crystal covered brooches.

Her manicured nails had been painted a vibrant red in colour, and due to the quickly dwindling minutes, the only other make-up that she had applied was some eyeliner, mascara, a little sparkle around the eyes and some cherry lip-gloss.

One crisp snort was the only form of recognition given from the snout of the miniature pink pig that was watching her, sitting nestled in the fluffy white carpet.

"Thanks Mr. Trotters, I knew I could count on you. Now what bag should I take?"

She picked up an oversized red leather creation from one of the shelves, but before she could even really consider it she felt a swift kick to the shins being delivered by the fashion savvy Mr. Trotters along with what could arguably be called angry and disparaging snorts.

There was no refuting it; the pig had attitude.

"Honestly, sometimes you are _such_ a diva. You could give J. Lo a run for her money," Kurumi said while rolling her eyes and replacing the evidently felonious handbag back onto the shelf. Really, for an animal he was such high maintenance; he couldn't even leave the house unless he was wearing his Cartier collar and had just had a bath.

Nevertheless, she had to give credit where credit was due; he did have an uncanny sense of style. Also, she was pretty sure that he was the only pig in the world that could shop online _and_ pay with a variety of different credit cards. It was pretty impressive.

"So, what do you suggest oh fashion guru of the swine persuasion?" the blond asked her companion. It was a few seconds before the small animal trotted almost superiorly over to one of the lower shelves and snorted at an oversized black Chanel bag with shoulder straps.

"Hmm," the girl said while contemplating the decision, "You're right. It evens out the eclecticism of my outfit by giving it a classic edge, while still being big enough for all my stuff. You, my dear, are a genius and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

A nearly arrogant grunt was the response to the compliment as Mr. Trotters trotted alongside Kurumi, following her down the hallway and back into her bedroom.

Five minutes later, after having packed all necessary items into the oversized designer bag, the two had started on the long and arduous walk through the Avalon mansion to reach the front section of the compound and subsequently breakfast.

Eventually, they arrived at their specified destination and had just sat down to eat the most important meal of the day when Akiko came into the dining room.

"What are you doing? There's no time to eat we gotta hustle or else someone's gonna get a brand spanking new nickname."

"But...no. I'm starving," Kurumi gave her mum the puppy dog eyes. When she got no positive results she gave in, "Fine, but only if we can stop to get something on the way, and that includes lots and lots of coffee or else I'm not gonna be conscious for much longer."

"What! You haven't had any yet?" The redhead questioned, absolutely aghast at the information. "Of course we can stop; I'm not into child abuse."

"Really? You had no qualms about shoving a pointy wooden stick through my heart earlier this morning."

"That was different. You were possibly a vamp remember? Anyway, depriving a child of caffeine is just cruelty no matter which way you look at it, especially one who is so dependent on it."

"You know, some might say that supplying and fostering the addiction in the first place was the real crime. It could even be termed as neglect for the child's welfare and health," the blond argued with a sculpted brow raised.

"Well, be glad that I'm not 'some' then. Otherwise, you'd be about to experience severe withdrawal and anyway, there's worse things you could be addicted to, like gambling, or crack, or those weird Mexican soap operas," her mother counted.

"Okay, I'm convinced. Now, weren't we supposed to have already left exactly three minutes and 32 seconds ago?"

"That was oddly precise and yes," Akiko said while both mother and daughter made their way to the entrance hall and departed out of the front doors and into the awaiting silver Mercedes SLR Mclaren.

* * *

The car rolled to a stop as the manic redhead behind the wheel pulled up to the curb and closed the engine of the luxury automobile off. The smell of fast food lingered in the air of the enclosed space and the evidence of it remained strewed across the centre consul, along with four or five very large cups that had once contained a certain caffeinated beverage.

Turning in her seat, the driver faced the girl in the passenger seat with a proud smile.

"Ah, my baby girl's first day of her junior year in high school," she stated still beaming, "Are you nervous?"

"What's there to be nervous for? It's not like it's going to be that much different from my last school," Kurumi answered before thinking about it and then adding, "Okay, so maybe it'll be weird not to speak in Japanese all the time, and to actually wear shoes indoors, and to not have to worry about the teacher chucking concussion inducing books at your head if you're not paying attention. That's still illegal in America right?"

"Last time I checked, yeah," the elder Avalon replied while surveying the bustling lawn and courtyard in front of the imposing brick building, "I don't remember it being so big when we went on the tour."

"Me neither. Maybe it's been popping steroids in the month that's passed since then," the blond suggested.

"It is a distinct possibility," her mother agreed, nodding her head, "Anyway, I'm sure you'll be fine because your brilliant and smart and a total replica of your stunningly beautiful mother, but if you need me, just call."

"Seriously?"

"Anytime, I'm great at making up dirty cheers."

"That really doesn't surprise me," the girl declared while shaking her head.

"So, shall we go over the rules?" a sign of affirmation met this, "Alright, if a stranger offers you candy what do you do?"

"I ask them if it contains the artificial colouring Blue 2, because I'm allergic."

"Correct. If you get caught up in a gang war, what is the plan of action?"

"Join the side with the hottest leader and then switch sides when it looks like they'll lose."

"Excellent. Moving on, if a guy named Morpheus offers you a red and a blue pill, which do you take?" This question was asked in the most serious of manners.

Without a moment's hesitation, "The red pill because being connected and controlled by an artificial reality really suppresses the individuality," Kurumi responded matching her mother's tone.

"Congratulations, you just received a perfect score. Cue music, balloons and that glittery stuff that falls from the ceiling when you win," Akiko said with a dramatic intone.

"Thank-you, thank-you. I'd just like to thank my friends for always being there for me, my family for continually supporting me, and Mr. Trotters for being my pillar of strength throughout it all. But above all, I'd like to give a huge thanks to my mother, Akiko Avalon, for teaching me all about useless things and for bestowing me with the ability to attract kidnappers and bad people with my naivety and rather asinine outlook on life," Kurumi acted this acceptance speech out with melodramatic actions and even a fake tear or too.

The redhead in the car began clapping ardently at the conclusion of the speech and said in a voice of practiced awe, "That was truly an Oscar winning performance."

"I do try," the blond replied with mock humility, "On another note, I must be going."

"Okay then. Well have a good first day of school," Akiko told her daughter, "And Kurumi," she turned to face the woman, "Try not to get kicked out for burning down the gym claiming it was full of nasty, blood sucking creatures of the night again hmm?"

"One, I've never been expelled before and two, you do know that one of the signs of insanity is an inability to separate reality from fantasy right?" Kurumi inquired while gazing directly at the person in question.

"What ever are you talking about Buffy?"

"Bye Joyce," the blond acknowledged before opening the door and climbing out of the vehicle. Turning back and giving a wave of goodbye to her mother, who returned the gesture with a wide grin planted on her face before taking off, she slowly looked back to view the gargantuan school before her.

Students of all descriptions clustered on the lawns and the paved courtyard, creating a scene of chaos and a loud chattering sound as they conversed with one another about the previous summer holidays. From what the blond knew of the school, this wasn't even a third of the total population of her newfound peers, with the total count standing at just over an enormous 3,000. And by the looks of things it was a very diverse and assorted crowd of individuals too.

She next diverted her awareness to the actual building which was only visible from the front face and was a dark brick red in shade. It was a huge multi-story construction (she counted at least five floors) and imposed an unusual sense of foreboding coupled with an aura of welcoming. It was strange and hard to explain. From this particular angle it was also possible to deduce that the building had at least two wings that extended parallel to one another from the ends of the stone countenance and into the depths of the school property where, although not perceptible from this scrutiny, Kurumi knew other edifices lay.

Peeling her eyes away from the sight, the young teen began the walk that would cumulate in leading her into the depths of the high school and to the office for registration.

However, not even two steps into her trek across the green lawn she was stopped by the sound of her phone telling her that she had one new message. Pulling the usual extension of her arm from within her bag, she flipped it open to see that the message was from her presently absent father, who was overseas due to various work commitments.

Reading the contents put an instant smile on the girls face as she appreciated what he took the time to write:

_Hi Princess. This is just to wish you good luck today and to say that I love you and miss you like the world will miss its atmosphere and ozone layer in the centuries to come. Let me tell you, that's a hell of a lot. I also wanted to give you this piece of advice, ahem you ready?, don't listen to your mother; take the blue pill. Fantasy can be more interesting and self-developing than reality sometimes. And lets' face it, that coat and that hair? Sorry, but I don't think Neo or Trinity's style really suits you hon. Anyway, must go so good luck once again and be sure to cause Trouble with a capital T alright my little Rubrics' cube! ; )_

Replacing the communication device back into its respective spot in the bag, Kurumi focused her attention back onto her new environment, a small smile still lingering on her features.

Gathering up her courage and with one last sigh and a muttered, "Welcome to the Hellmouth," she continued on her way into the masses of swarming and congregated students, walking towards the open front doors for her first day at Belmont High.

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Remember to review my lovely readers!


	2. One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes

**Summary:** She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note:** Here is the second chapter for you all! I hope that you enjoy it because it was heaps of fun to write! And don't forget to review because I need to know how this story is being received and whether you like it or not, and whether you think the characters are too 2D, and anything else that you feel like saying! So, REVIEW!

I'd also like to give a huge thanks to those who reviewed last chapter (**R. Voltaire**, **wiltedmoon**, and **LoveLinkAndRobinHood**) and to those who added this story to their favourite and alert lists!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

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**Chapter Two – One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes**

Kurumi sat awkwardly on the uncomfortable chairs outside the Principals' office waiting to be admitted to see the figure of authority after having completed enrolling into the educational institution known as Belmont High.

Apparently it was a standard practice for the Principal to meet and greet all new students.

Whatever it was Kurumi just wanted them to hurry up so that she could finally get to...(she consulted her timetable)...Latin. On second thought they could take all the time in the world, the longer the better in fact.

Just as that declaration passed through the head of the extremely bored blond, the door to the office opened and the student previously monopolizing the Principal's time walked out and made their way to what was undoubtedly their first class.

'Murphy's Law strikes again,' Kurumi thought gloomily as she stood from her position on the lumpy seat as the secretary called to her, "The Principal will see you now Miss. Avalon."

With a small smile of gratitude directed at the harassed looking woman behind the desk, she advanced into the lair of the waiting predator, on guard and ready to run at any sign of danger.

God, she really needed to stop watching the Discovery Channel.

She entered and closed the door with a sharp snap before rotating back around and approaching the man behind the wooden desk.

"Ah, Miss. Avalon please come in and take a seat," the bespectacled middle aged man with greying light brown hair and watery blue eyes said while gesturing to the girl in front of him.

She did as instructed.

"My name is Mr. Kent and let me be the first to say welcome to Belmont High," he continued on in a hospitable tone.

"Technically you're the second because the lady in the...," Kurumi trailed off after a look from the man in front of her and instead replied in the standard manner, "Thank-you it's a pleasure to be here."

"No, I must say that the pleasure is all ours Miss. Avalon," he counteracted with a toothy smile, "After all, to have someone of your pedigree attending our school is a great honour."

"Er, thanks?" the blond offered while resisting the prevailing urge to shake her head at his endeavours of flattery. Evidently, he was all too aware of the influence and wealth the Avalon name carried with it.

What, with Avalon Enterprises being ranked as one of the top five earning companies in the world and all.

Effectively, the corporation controlled the Entertainment Industry, the Fashion Industry, and a large portion of the Travel and Hospitality Industries respectively (they owned numerous hotel chains, restaurants, clubs, resorts, theatres, and even an airline or two). They also had a fair hold on the Publishing sector, owning several different publishing houses and a slew of popular magazines and newspapers.

It was a global initiative that had been owned and built upon by the Avalon family for generations, with each new head of the company adding to the ever expanding portfolio. Subsequently, this cumulated in making the Avalon family a very powerful force to be reckoned with.

And the Principal knew this backwards, forwards and inside out if the cheesy smile he was giving Kurumi was anything to go by.

"Of course, it must be noted that this school rates as one of the top public schools in America," he continued on, the smile falling from his face the longer he talked, "And as such, there are a number of students here at Belmont High that have lineages and important connections much akin to the ones you possess. With that being said, I would like you to know that we do not hold such students in a higher regard when compared to their peers and we treat _everyone _like equals. That means that you have to work hard, just like everybody else, if you wish to succeed at this school because money and name will not buy your way through, is that clear?"

"Like the water in the Bahamas," the girl replied, a new found respect peppering her words. It wasn't often that a person in his position would give such a lecture to her and she found it to be rather refreshing from the usual fawning she was forced to endure.

'I think I'm going to like him,' she decided mentally, 'He's like Gandhi for the high school generation.'

"Good. That being said, we at Belmont High expect you to work diligently to achieve your maximum potential and to utilise the services offered to your advantage. We want to service your needs, and help you to respect our needs. And if your needs and our needs don't mesh..." Mr. Kent let the sentence hang for a few seconds, "Well, in any case I'm sure that that won't be an issue. Any questions?"

"Not really sir, I'm just your typical Mary Sue," she tried to reason and convince him. It wasn't like she was some spoilt little rich kid who was only interested in causing problems for fun and then relied on her parents to use their influence to get her out of any consequences. She could handle herself if the occasion were to arise and being that kind of a nuisance just wasn't her thing anyway. Apparently, if his tone of voice and pointed look were anything to go by, he was sceptical to say the least. Honestly, hadn't the man ever heard of stereotypes?

Finally, with a nod of his greying head in acquiesced acknowledgment he allowed her to leave.

"Well, I think that about wraps things up here so I suggest that you go find your locker and get to your first period of class now."

With that Kurumi got up and walked towards the door but before she could turn the handle the Principal's voice halted her.

"Oh, and Miss. Avalon?" she turned to stare questioningly in the direction of the man behind the big wooden desk, "Please try and stay out of trouble."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty low maintenance," Kurumi assured matter-of-factly, "Like a Honda."

"That's, ah, good to know," Mr. Kent said with a slight smile on his face. There was no other way to say it, but the girl _was_ a little strange. That is if her responses were anything to go by.

The blond opened the door and, with poise, exited the office.

Mr. Kent watched as she left. There was just something about the girl that made him believe that she was going to be like a spanner in the works at Belmont High.

"Somehow I think that this year is going to prove interesting to say the least."

* * *

"Is this place the Labyrinth or what!" a frustrated blond exclaimed as she stood in a deserted corridor and looked helplessly around before conferring once more with the rumpled map she held clenched in one fist.

Kurumi perused the diagram of nonsensical gibberish one more time before coming to the conclusion that she _really_ couldn't read maps. And her books were getting very heavy dammit!

'Why couldn't the secretary have given me directions to the classroom too,' she thought dejectedly. The lady in the office had seemingly only seen it fit to give the girl instructions on how to locate her locker and had believed that she would be able to read the supplied map to find her classroom.

How little did she know.

Kurumi sighed pitifully to herself as she thought sadly, 'It hasn't even been 10 minutes since leaving the Principal's office and I'm already in trouble!'

She examined the hallway again to see if it contained anything that could possibly be used to identify where she was, but it looked identical to the last six she had passed through.

She was just contemplating sending up smoke signals when she heard the unmistakable sound of heavy footfalls on tacky linoleum floor.

'Hurry the power of psychic thinking prevails yet again!' the girl cheered silently to herself as she whirled around to find her saviour.

Strolling nonchalantly down the hallway was a boy who appeared to be a little older than Kurumi and slightly taller too, standing at what she estimated to be around 6'2. He was decked out in a white Ed Hardy tee, dark blue jeans, and white Vans shoes, and had piercing ice blue eyes.

Kurumi couldn't help but think, 'This _must_ be the Labyrinth because I just found the Minotaur.'

The unknown teen had the oddest hairstyle that Kurumi had ever seen.

His bright red hair was styled into two upright creations that vividly reminded the blond of bull's horns...or maybe even devil's horns. Although peculiar and definitely unique, she had to say that he wore it well and that it suited the almost evil air that surrounded him.

Snapping out of her musings before she missed her chance at rescue she quickly made herself known.

"Ah, excuse me," Kurumi called to gain his attention.

The teen stopped and focused his gaze on her, a smirk slipping onto his lips upon eye contact.

"Yes?" he drawled.

"Do you happen to know where room E435 is?" she inquired somewhat desperately.

"I might," was his response as he persevered to stare at the shorter girl.

As the seconds grew in number and the male teen didn't look as if he was going to say anything more, the golden haired girl took action.

"So can you point me in the right direction?" Kurumi quizzed in a prompting voice.

"Down the hall, turn right, then left at the water fountain and it'll be one of the doors in that corridor," the boy supplied while casually surveying her up and down.

"Thanks," the blond replied, in a voice that held barely restrained disgust, as she began to walk away.

"Hey, wait up," the teen told her as he caught up with her and stationed himself a little too close for comfort, "You never told me your name pretty girl."

Kurumi almost rolled her eyes at his seductive smile and flirtatious manner. She had to hand it to him, he was good, a regular Casanova even. Luckily for her, she had encountered his type many times before. She was betting that she was better.

Instead, she decided to humour him and said coyly, "You first."

The boy continued to smile charmingly at her as he came a little bit closer, "My name? Well it's a four letter word that starts with a 'T' and has an 'l' and a repeated vowel in it. Care to guess?"

In response Kurumi cocked her head to the left and said in a completely innocent tone, with a slight hint of confusion, "What 'Tool'?"

She couldn't help but smirk as the teen's expression was wiped off his pale face and a small scowl replaced the look before it was smoothly covered once again.

"A funny girl, huh? I like that," he said as he moved even nearer.

"You know what I like?" Kurumi responded in a low and coquettish voice, as she stopped and faced the cocky redhead, almost closing the space between them. She tilted her face up to his, an enticing smile adorning her countenance.

"What?" the boy asked as he leaned his head so that there existed only a couple of inches separating their lips.

The blond flicked her gaze to his lips for a split second, the same expression as before still gracing her features. In an instant, however, that changed to a look of distaste as she proclaimed, "Personal space!" while shoving him out of the way.

She was pleased to see a look of utter shock on the others face before turning with the intention of going to class.

Another teen, however, was standing a couple of feet in front of the girls' path.

This one was just as tall as the other with hair coloured two tones – dark blue at the back and a lighter blue, almost slate colour at the front – and intriguing crimson eyes. He was even more devilishly handsome and had strange blue triangles that resembled shark fins painted on his fair skinned cheeks. From what Kurumi could see of his body through his clothes (a black t-shirt with something printed on it (she didn't have time to distinguish it due to her quick examination), baggy dark blue jeans, and black converse Chucks), she determined that it was toned and if his arms when anything to go by, muscular too. Yep, he was a definite Adonis.

Just from his stance and the way in which he held himself she could also already conclude that he thought of himself in a superior light, was egotistical and ultimately conceited.

All in all he was a true heartbreaker and she immediately disliked him.

Currently, an amused smirk was playing upon his well defined lips as he calmly nodded in acknowledgement at the adolescent behind the shorter girl and said "Tala."

This seemed to marginally snap the other out of his stunned state as he inclined his head while staring baffled at the back of a specific golden head. Obviously, blatant rejection wasn't something he was overly familiar with.

"And you are?" the unnamed bluenette inquired while leisurely sweeping his garnet orbs over Kurumi's body, glancing longer at certain parts of her anatomy, and exuding an air of complete confidence and arrogance. Even from the few words that he had spoken thus far, the blond knew that her previous assessment had been entirely accurate.

"Leaving," was the curt retort as she manoeuvred her way past the boy, pausing only to chuck a "Later Lucifer" to the redhead behind her and a "Jaws" to the haughty bluenette. She then proceeded to defiantly strut down the hallway, heels clicking audaciously, and didn't bother looking back.

If she had of however, she would have seen two very surprised and astonished looking male teenagers watching her as she walked down the bland corridor and around the corner, marching entirely to the beat of her own drum.

* * *

Kurumi came to a halt outside of room E435, still incensed over the nerve of the two perverts, and took a moment to collect herself before knocking on the frosted glass of the door.

"Come in," a decidedly feminine voice called from within the confines of the classroom.

With a deep calming breath, the blond girl opened the blue door and made her first debut into the Latin class.

"Can I help you?" the teacher asked in a soft and timid voice, pausing as she wrote something on the board. She had a dulcet look about her and was rather petite, with wispy amber hair and mahogany eyes framed by wire rim glasses.

"Hi, I'm new here," Kurumi informed the woman while handing over the paper she was given by the secretary in the office. As the teacher skimmed through its contents, the blond girl proceeded to glance over at her new peers.

A random assortment of gazes returned her own, some with interests, others with curiosity and some with boredom.

"Well, welcome to year 11 Latin Miss. Avalon. I'm Miss. Karin your, um, your teacher," she finished off clumsily as she looked nervously at the girl next to her, "Could you please introduce yourself to the class?"

This last part was asked as more of a question and Kurumi felt sorry for the poor woman. She seemed to be terrified of her own students!

In response, the blond gave a cheery "Sure" and a large smile to try and make things easier on the suffering woman.

She hesitantly smiled back in what appeared to be gratitude, before turning her awareness to the rest of the class.

"Excuse me everyone, I'm sorry to disturb you but we have a new student," she remarked in a quiet, fearfully apologetic voice.

'She's such a mouse!' Kurumi mentally said as she scrutinized Miss. Karin form the corner of her eye, 'I wonder what made her become a teacher if she can't even cope with the students?'

Pushing this thought away as she became aware of the class staring at her, Kurumi smiled in what she hoped was an approachable and friendly manner.

After all, you didn't make friends with vinegar.

The class in return did nothing but watch; a couple of people gave half-smiles, and waited for the sunnily smiling blond to make her introductions.

Everyone was staring at Kurumi and she could feel the beam that indicated the spotlight. Blood began to rush to her head and her heart was speeding up as nerves took over the usually composed teen. It was times like these that she really wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

She hated being put on the spot like this but she didn't think Miss. Karin could handle the pressure of having to introduce her without having a heart attack stimulated by anxiety.

A small cough issued from the mouth of one of the students in the front row as some began to snicker quietly in the back, time stretching uncomfortably on.

"Oh, right. I'm Kurumi Avalon and I'm fifteen," she started in a tone of confidence that did not betray her inner turmoil, "I only recently moved back to New York after living overseas for the previous few years, Japan being the last, and have only just realized how much I missed it. I have an unappeasable addiction to coffee, an obsession with high heels, a sometimes violent, fashion orientated pet pig, and I think that sliced bread is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I've always dreamed that one day I'd wake up to find that I'm the next Marilyn vos Savant, but I'm a realist and have accepted the fact that it's probably never going to happen. I also made the all important discovery last year that eating eleven litres of Ben and Jerry's ice cream in one day doesn't cure heartbreak depression; it just makes you fat."

At the conclusion of this speech, everyone in the room stared at the blond. No one said anything for quite some time until Kurumi felt the need to break the discomfited silence.

"Heh...tough crowd," she said while glancing around at her various new peers, and what she had originally hoped, friends. Now, she was seriously starting to doubt the latter. If the reactions to her introduction were anything to go by, she didn't think that she would be getting an invitation to lunch from anyone present.

That was certainly a disappointing development.

Although in hindsight, it wasn't that surprising as she did have a sense of humour that not everyone found appealing (mainly because they didn't always comprehend the intricacies that made it funny).

"Okay, um, thank-you Miss. Avalon. Would you like to take a seat next to Miss. Wong?" the teacher asked, instead of told, uncertainly while indicating a pink haired girl in the back corner.

With a small smile, Kurumi walked towards the table that the girl occupied and sat down, several of the other students continuing to gawk even after she had taken her place at the desk.

Ignoring the feel of eyes on her, the blond decided to try and strike up a conversation with her desk mate, hoping to at least make one acquaintance in this class.

She focused her concentration on the girl and really looked at her for the first time. She had long hot pink hair that was loosely tied in a ponytail upon her head and bright golden eyes, hidden though behind a pair of nondescript black glasses that did nothing for her appearance. She also wore a rather outdated and shapeless dress that hid her figure and did not aid in enhancing her natural beauty.

Despite this, she seemed to be open to conversation and interested in Kurumi as she was peering at her sideways, her glasses obscuring the directness of the look.

"Hey, as you undoubtedly know, I'm Kurumi," the blond girl whispered to the person beside her, aware of the quietness of the classroom as Miss. Karin began to apprehensively talk about the origins of the Latin language.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you, I'm Mariah," the now named girl informed the blond, "Let me just say that I completely understand the appeal that Ben and Jerry's have."

Kurumi grinned at this.

"I know right. You should see the kids in Japan, they eat that stuff like crack," she replied, earning a snort from Mariah.

The class dwindled on and during that time, Kurumi was able to ascertain that she most certainly liked the pink haired girl and that facades could be deceiving. She found that the girl had a wicked sense of humour and appreciated much of what the slightly shorter blond said. If Kurumi could hazard a guess, and if it wasn't too premature to do so, she would say that they were like two peas in a pod.

Eventually the bell rang, much to everyone's utmost pleasure, and the array of different students began to pack up their belongings in order to head for their next class.

Kurumi and Mariah had made a quick pit-stop at the water fountain and just as the pink haired girl was taking a drink, they became aware of the presence of three girls standing next to them.

"He-hem," the one in the middle fake coughed in an effort to gain their audience. She had waist length bright purple hair (that Kurumi speculated just _had_ to be dyed), emerald green eyes, and a face that would probably be very pretty if it wasn't for the layers of make-up that hindered its naturalness. Her lack of clothing also added to the construction of a modern day Aspasia in Kurumi's mind.

She felt Mariah stiffen beside her.

Resisting the urge to question the pink haired teen at her reaction, she looked upon the new arrivals with vague interest and a puzzled look.

"Hi, I'm Amanda, and this is Holly and Julia," the evident leader began while indicating the two other teens.

The one named Holly was a bleached blond, blue eyed replica of Amanda who seemed to have overdosed on the fake tan a tad too much and was now a very orange colour. It also looked as if she had indulged in a little artificial enhancement if her chest was anything to go by.

Julia, on the other hand, had long brown hair that was a golden yellow colour on the top and vibrant green eyes. She wasn't wearing as much synthetic products as the other two and was clad with a more conservative feel to it. All in all, it gave the impression that she didn't really belong with the other two.

"Oh, hi it's great to meet you all," Kurumi responded happily; open to making as many new and diverse friends as possible. Anyway, it was always better to have connections with different groups of people as it increased life experience and could come in handy in certain situations.

Lorenzo de' Medici eat your heart out.

In addition, the blond was more partial to having copious amounts of friends as it enabled her to socialize, which advertently was one of her favourite things to do.

"So, you just moved back here huh? I'm in your Latin class so I heard your intro," Amanda said in an effort to strike up a chat, "It must be kinda weird being back after being gone for so long. Where did you say you were last again?"

"Oh, I got back from Japan, Tokyo to be exact, about a month and a half ago" Kurumi informed the group of teens, all of whom listened intently.

"That's so cool," the purple haired girl said in a tone that oozed sweetness. "Well, you'll be okay here. If you hang with me and mine, you'll be accepted in no time. Of course, we do have to test your coolness factor. You're originally from New York, so you can skip the written, but let's see. Green nail polish?"

"Um, over?"

"So over," Holly answered, "Milo Ventimiglia?"

"He needs to call me!"

"Frappaccinos?" This time it was Julia who asked.

"An old favourite."

"Cosmo?"

"The Bible."

"Okay, that was pretty much a given, but...you passed!" Amanda congratulated.

"Oh, goody!" the natural blond replied in an accent of teasing enthusiasm.

It was at this moment that Mariah straightened up from her bent position over the drinking apparatus and was perceived by the purple, bleached, and duo haired teens.

"Mariah! Nice dress! Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears," Amanda commented snidely amid the deriding laughter of Holly. Julia, however, remained silent and averted her eyes from the taunting scene. This action did not go unnoticed by Kurumi who watched on in shadowed disgust. If there was one thing she really couldn't stand it was other people thinking that they were better than others and had the right to ridicule those less fortunate.

These girls had just gone from potential friends to people not worth bothering with.

Mariah muttered in a voice dusted with embarrassment, "Uh, oh, well, my mom picked it out."

"No wonder you're such a guy magnet then," Holly mocked while looking on in revulsion at the red faced Mariah.

Amanda turned her focus back onto Kurumi and informed her that, "If you wanna fit in here, the first rule is: know your losers. Once you can identify them all by sight," she glanced at the pink haired girl, "they're a lot easier to avoid."

At this statement, Mariah made to move past Kurumi and the obviously popular group of teens, her visage rivalling that of a tomato. Before she could get very far, however, the blond put a hand out and grabbed her wrist, halting her movement, while never removing her blazing eyes from those of Amanda.

"Thanks for the tip but I think I can decide for myself those that need to be avoided," she said coldly while staring pointedly at the group before her.

Three pairs of eyes looked back in confusion until the violet haired leader started to laugh.

"Oh, I get it," she affirmed in between giggles, "You evidently don't know how this school operates and were just making a joke. Like in class right?"

"Oh," Holly then said in relieved understanding. For a minute there she thought the new girl was serious.

Dumbfounded was the only expression that could be distinguished on Kurumi's features. Were they deaf? Did she need to write it on a billboard in flashing neon lights?

"So, you'll join us for lunch right? We can explain everything to you then," Amanda proposed in a condescending manner, flipping her hair over her bare shoulders in the process.

"Yeah, so you should definitely come if you know what's good for you. After all if you hang with us you'll automatically be popular," the bleached blond clone stated as if it were fact before adding, after seeing the disbelieving look adorning Kurumi's beautiful face, "Oh and don't worry, you're totally cute enough to hang with us."

"But not as cute as Pushkin right?" Kurumi inquired in acceptance tinged with incredulity.

At this query, the blond could feel Mariah shaking in suppressed laughter as her wrist remained in Kurumi's warm hand, her back still stationed towards the group.

Amanda and Holly just looked confused while the one named Julia appeared to be attempting to stifle a chuckle, her cheeks tinging light pink at the effort.

"Never mind," the golden haired girl said while shaking her head slightly, "I'm really sorry but I've kinda already got plans at lunch, you know with Mariah and all."

"Huh?" Holly screeched intelligently, clearly outraged, "Are you mentally challenged?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

Amanda smiled in a sickeningly sweet way while saying, "I'll give you one last chance to reconsider."

"What is this? A plea bargain? What part of 'No' don't you comprehend?" Kurumi proclaimed exasperated with the whole state of affairs.

"You know, you really should have accepted. Enjoy your downward mobility on the social scale," Amanda said in a dangerous tone, her emerald eyes narrowing with every word, "I'll be sure to help you get to your rightful position...loser."

With that, Amanda and Holly gave the disobedient blond simultaneous sneers, while Julia gave her an indifferent look that didn't quite succeed in reaching her green eyes and smothering the look of inquisitiveness that was held within their depths. The three teens then proceeded to walk away down the bustling corridor.

"So, should we get to History?" Kurumi inquired of Mariah acting as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"You really shouldn't have done that you know," the pink haired girl said in a low voice, "They're going to make your life hell now."

The blond snorted in reply, "I'd like to see them try. I'm guessing that they're part of the popular clique then?"

"You just met the Queen bee and two of her loyal followers."

"Ah, I see. I have to say that she wasn't_ that_ terrifying," Kurumi remarked in a light hearted jest.

"You haven't seen _anything_ yet. I still can't believe that you turned down the opportunity to be a part of _that_ scene. Barely anyone gets the chance and now you're stuck at the bottom because of me," Mariah murmured softly, guilt dripping from every word.

"If you ever say that again I will inflict serious damage with my fantastically fashionable shoes. I really don't want to be friends with people like that anyway; I already know _way_ too many so my quota's all filled up for the next thousand years or so," she triumphed in coaxing a smile form the other adolescent, "and now you're stuck with me! Aren't you lucky!?"

"Can I send you back?" Mariah queried, earning a light slap on the shoulder from her newfound friend.

"No!" Kurumi exclaimed in mock indignation, "Anyway enough of that kind of backstabbing talk, on to more important matters."

A raised eyebrow met this declaration.

"If Amanda's the reigning _Regina_," the blond girl questioned her pink haired companion curiously, "Who's _Rex_?"

* * *

**Note:**

_Regina _– Latin for Queen

_Rex_- Latin for King

Remember to review my lovely readers!


	3. Machiavellian Politics in the Fish Bowl

**Summary:** She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in weeks! I was on holidays! Anyway, I now present Chapter 3 for you all and I apologize if it's boring but it's more of an explanation chapter…please don't hurt me! Also if you could please REVIEW it would be much appreciated by moi as it tells me how this story is being received and whether people actually like it or not.

On that note, I'd also like to give a huge thanks to those who reviewed last chapter (**Annika Preminyer**, **LoveLinkAndRobinHood**, and **R. Voltaire**) and to those who added this story to their favourite and alert lists!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

* * *

**Chapter Three – Machiavellian Politics in the Fish Bowl**

"The social hierarchy of Belmont High is a system that has existed since the dawn of time and has, unfortunately, skipped the process of evolution," Mariah began, sighing heavily, as she walked with Kurumi to the second class of the day, History, which they luckily shared together.

"Really?" Kurumi asked, eyebrow cocked in humour at the dramatic way of explanation that her new friend had of highlighting the social structure that subsisted within the constraints of the high school.

The pink haired girl gave the blond a stern look which indicated for the girl in question to keep quiet.

"Okay, shutting up now."

"Ahem, where was I?" Mariah said while sending the teen beside her a mock glare that conveyed her 'displeasure' at being interrupted, "Ah yes, that's right. Here at this 'wonderful' educational establishment," the sarcasm was heavy during this statement, "there exists an unwritten, but nonetheless strict, code that details and governs the workings of the student body. Now, there are several rather important and vital factors to be known about this system and certain conventions that one must follow in order to adhere to it."

The slightly taller girl paused in her elucidation as the two adolescents came upon the designated room for their History class. Walking in, they headed towards the back row and secured the table in the right hand corner, before continuing with their previous conversation as they waited for the class to commence.

"The first, and probably the most cardinal, thing to remember is 'know your place'," the hot pink haired teen informed her companion with a serious expression adorning her hidden features.

"What kind of a rule is that?" Kurumi questioned in a low voice as the teacher had just entered the room, "I already know my place. It's in between Earth and outer space."

Mariah puzzled over this for a moment before hazarding a guess in a tone that denoted bafflement, "What, the atmosphere?"

"No," the blond said in a forceful manner, "Try a more biblical approach."

A few seconds of silence passed as Mariah attempted to figure out what Kurumi was getting at. A wide grin spread across her face as she succeeded in deciphering the somewhat cryptic hint.

"God?"

"Yes my child, it is me," the blond answered in her best God voice. It just so happened that it resembled a drag queen with a bad head cold.

"You are so weird," Mariah muttered before deciding to go along with it, "If you're really the all mighty creator than you'll be able to answer this question."

"Proceed."

"What's the meaning of life?"

"I'm sorry but I've gotta, ah, poker game with Satan to get too. I best not keep him waiting, he gets so temperamental when I'm late and world catastrophes tend to occur in retribution for my tardiness. So, I'll have to get back to you on that one," the blond said in a sheepish way.

"God huh?" the pink haired teen stated in an amused and skeptical manner.

"Well, maybe not God per se, more like…an intermediary between the big guy upstairs and mortals?" she tried, before seeing the look on her new friends countenance, "Not buying it?"

"Nope, not for a second."

"So I guess I can strike vehicle for connection with the divine off my repertoire of possible career options in the future?"

"That and actress."

"Hey, I can be quite convincing when such an occasion requires my acting prowess and expertise I'll have you know," Kurumi said in a tone laced with indignation.

"Uh-huh," her desk mate replied while rolling her eyes, "Anyway, back onto the original topic –"

She was cut off as the teacher began the History lesson.

"Alright class, welcome back to school," a collective groaning sound met this, "Yes, yes, I can see that you're all just _thrilled_ to be back, as are the rest of us," the young teacher continued on as he looked pointedly out at the class.

"I was going to take it easy on you guys as seeing it is the first day back, but as you're all just _so_ enthusiastic I think that we'll jump straight in," the spiky black and red haired man informed them all with a mischievous grin, verbal protests from many of the students only serving to make it wider.

"For all of you who don't know who I am, my name is Porter and I will be your History teacher for the rest of the year," he paused as he saw a couple of people glance at each other in confusion, "Yes that's right, this is year 11 History so if you're in the wrong class I suggest that you make sure that the door doesn't hit you on the ass on the way out."

Two or three students quickly got up and made their way out of the classroom as soon as the teacher finished speaking.

"Alright then, I'm assuming that the rest of you have the ability to correctly read your timetables?" he asked as several students chuckled at his exaggerated manner, "Good. Then let's get started shall we?"

Kurumi observed the man as he wrote the title 'The Black Death' upon the board before turning back to view his students. He appeared to be a polar opposite of the timorous Latin teacher Miss. Karin, and seemed to have a preference for the sarcastic over the gentle in which the aforementioned educator preferred. He also resembled a punk from the early 80's with his onyx coloured hair, accentuated by random blotches of red, styled into little liberty spikes that wouldn't have been out of place on a puffer fish, and distinctive attire. A customized black blazer, torn denim jeans, a t-shirt of a band that Kurumi had never heard of, and black military boots, were thrown together, along with several piercings on his ears and face and numerous tattoos, that helped to solidify the notion in the girl's mind. She looked at him dazedly for a few seconds before turning towards Mariah with an expression that asked if he really was the person in charge.

The pink haired teen nodded her head in understanding with a smile upon her face as she studied her friend's reaction.

"Yeah, he's one of the more extravagant teachers at this school," Mariah told the blond in a whisper as she watched Porter begin to take the roll, "He's a really good History teacher though, despite appearances."

"Huh," Kurumi replied while still appearing slightly dazed. A second later she continued, "Cool. I'm all for diversity after all…"

She suddenly stopped talking as Porter looked directly at her. He gave her an evil smirk before addressing her.

"Unable to comprehend the concept of keeping one's mouth shut while someone else is speaking, Miss…?"

"Avalon," the blond replied back, maintaining eye contact and a countenance that seemed unfazed by the sudden attention of the class and the apparent reprimanding of the teacher. She gave a little smirk of her own before adding, "And I completely understand the concept, I evidently just chose to ignore it."

"In that case I'm sure that you won't mind stating five facts about 'The Black Death'. It might even encourage you to adhere to the rules next time," Porter stated in a voice that held provocation within its depths.

Instead of the regular reaction that most students gave to such a request ("I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again!"), Kurumi grinned at the suggestion and prepared to give her answers. After all, she never backed down from such a blatant challenge

"It would be my pleasure," she responded in the most gracious of manners, entertained to see that one of Porter's eyebrows had risen and a look of veiled amusement graced his features, "One, 'The Black Death' began in 1328; two, it wiped out roughly a third of the world's entire population –"

"Let me rephrase the question," the teacher interrupted, eyes glittering impishly, "I meant five _interesting_ facts."

Kurumi smiled sweetly at this and began again.

"Okay then. One, there were actually two different types of plagues, the Bubonic and the Pneumonic, that constituted 'The Black Death'; two, the Bubonic plague was transferred through fleas while the Pneumonic plague was transmitted via the air; three, it actually began in the Gobi Desert and not in Europe as is the common misconception; four, it spread throughout the world by way of the Trade Routes; and five, in Europe it originated as an early type of germ warfare. Shall I continue?" the blond girl inquired as she eyed Porter boldly. From the corner of her unique orbs, she could also see that many of the other students were gazing at her in mystification, disbelief or were trying not to smile. She had to bite her lip in order to control the desire to laugh at their expressions.

"No, that's it," the black and red headed teacher said as he turned his focus back onto the rest of the class, a small smirk adorning his mouth as means of acknowledgment.

The blond girl smiled faintly at this as she looked upon her desk mate once more. A shocked pink haired teen stared back at her.

"What?"

"That's the closest I've ever seen Porter come to a compliment," she murmured in awe as she glanced to make sure that said person wasn't paying her any thought, "You could have gotten into serious trouble for talking back to a teacher. I didn't peg you as one of those kinds of trouble makers."

Kurumi snorted quietly at this and answered, "I'm not generally."

Confusion etched itself onto Mariah's face, "I don't follow."

"Look at him," the shorter girl indicated to the front of the room and the adult standing there, currently terrorizing one of their frightened peers, "He's a total punk. And punks are all about opposition and rebellion. Everything about him screams that and, therefore, the only way to get him to respect me was to appeal to these senses. Actually, it's quite ironic that he lectured me about rules when he so obviously shuns and dismisses them."

"Wow," Mariah muttered still in a state of wonder, "You really are a freak."

"An observant freak," Kurumi corrected before laughing at the pink haired teen's still stunned expression.

She had to admit, being the heiress of a leading corporation such as Avalon Enterprises did have some advantages when it came to judging people. Possessing such a position as the one that she entertained meant that she had to be constantly aware of the people she was associating with and their usually disguised intentions. Hence, she had been brought up learning how to scrutinize and read people, the ability of observation practically ingrained in her. Which, she deduced, was not at all a bad thing.

The blond had just opened up her mouth to say something to Mariah when –

"Avalon!"

Apparently, Porter had eyes in the back of his head.

* * *

"So, you began informing me of the ins and outs of the social food chain here at Belmont High before that minor footnote known as History cropped up," Kurumi said as she and Mariah made their way towards the cafeteria, their second period for the day having just ended.

The hallways were bustling with activity and students of varying degrees were jostling past them as they attempted to maneuver their way to the place where the blond was sincerely hoping caffeine was being served.

She needed a fix.

Stat.

"Ah yes, that's right," her pink haired companion nodded, a thoughtful look upon her face, "It'll be easier to explain once we make it to the cafeteria. That is _if_ we make it."

Several people had rudely knocked into Mariah as they made their way to their various destinations, acting as though she was invisible, and not bothering to apologize.

"Should I call upon the assistance of a knight in shining armor, to save us, the beautiful damsels in distress, from such a brutal task as walking down a couple of corridors and perhaps a staircase or two?" the shorter girl inquired whilst dramatically raising her hand to her head and pretending to faint.

"Maybe, is that a dragon up ahead?" Mariah joined in with the theatrics, exclaiming in a fearful voice, as she lifted her hand to shield her golden eyes from the nonexistent sun obscuring her vision.

"Where?" Kurumi shrieked while reaching out to grab hold of the taller girls arm in a death grip.

The blond also succeeded in obtaining the attention of all those in the immediate vicinity, who looked on the spectacle with expressions that clearly denoted the belief that the teen was crazy. Luckily for her, she was too caught up in her role that she didn't even notice. However it wouldn't have mattered anyway, she really didn't give a damn what they thought of her.

"Oh my, what shall we do?" Kurumi continued on in terror, "Young maidens such as ourselves will surely be prime targets for such a beast. Perhaps one of these passing gentlemen will be willing to fend off the approaching creature for us and save our lives."

Before Mariah could stop her, Kurumi had ran off and began imploring of the nearest male, "Please sir, I beg of thee, will you not fight the oncoming demon in order to spare the lives of two helpless and defenseless lady's of breeding such as my companion and myself?"

The boy she had pleaded such a request of just looked at her as if she was insane and kept walking. She then turned her big, beseeching eyes and clasped hands to the next boy who avoided all eye contact and practically ran from the scene. This occurred several times before Kurumi gave up and returned to her laughing friend's side, huffing indignantly.

"Chivalry is _so_ dead," the blond informed with an eye roll.

"Yeah, I'm sure that it had nothing to do with the mad woman running up to them and asking them to risk their lives, and probably die, while attempting to slay a beast that only she could see," Mariah reasoned while staring pointedly at the other girl, "Are you sure that your not an escapee from a mental asylum hiding under the guise of a high school student?"

"Well, now that you mention it…"

"You know what, don't answer that."

"A wise decision," Kurumi said while nodding her head up and down in approval, "Anyway, are we nearly at the cafeteria yet because I think I can smell coffee."

Mariah gave her a weird look before replying, "How can you smell coffee? We're two floors away."

"I can smell that revered substance a mile away," the golden haired teen said proudly, "My dad says that I should become one of this sniffer dogs for the police, my sense of smell is that good."

"Oh, yeah I can totally see the similarities. I mean, you do look like a bi – "

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence if you want those glasses to remain intact," Kurumi threatened while glaring at the teen beside her.

The hot pink haired girl merely shrugged innocently as the two proceeded to arrive at the cafeteria, Mariah halting for a second in front of the blue double doors before throwing them open and entering the room, Kurumi following behind.

The gargantuan stark white room beyond was crowded with their peers and filled with tables of various sizes and shapes. The sound of chatter and laughter rebounded somewhat off of the plain walls and the 'alluring' smell of cafeteria food wafted through the air, originating from the serving counters at the far left of the food hall.

Making their way towards the source of scent, the two girls lined up in the busy queue in order to get something to eat and in Kurumi's case to obtain a substance that would satiate her addiction.

After having procured their desired items, Mariah lead the way to a small round table that was situated somewhere in the middle of the room and sat down. Kurumi imitated this action.

She looked around at the people located at the surrounding tables and realized that she still didn't know how this school operated in terms of the hierarchy of power.

"So, all knowing keeper of information," the blond began, turning to face her companion, "Would you finally like to share some of that wisdom and educate a simpleton such as myself on the ways of this particular fishbowl?"

"Um, fishbowl?"

"Yeah, you know, because high school is a self contained unit that is only concerned with its immediate environs and nothing beyond its limits, just like a fishbowl," she explained in response to the somewhat puzzled query, "Everyone lives in their own individual fishbowls. If you ever feel the inclination, it's actually quite interesting just sitting and watching people interact within their fishbowls."

"Makes sense, I guess," the other teen conceded.

"Of course it does, I said it."

"I can see that modesty comes so naturally to you."

"Oh God, déjà vu," the blond said while shaking her head vigorously, her eyes widening in concern, "I sound just like my mother. Now that's a scary thought."

"Right," the pink haired girl said while raising a brow in amusement at the look of disgust mingled with hopelessness on her friend's face, "Anyway we're getting side tracked again."

This snapped the other teen out of her self-pitying trance and she perked up once more, "Yes, yes we really are," clearing her throat she altered her posture and facial expression to one of uttermost astute attention, "I am at your educational disposal Yoda."

"Thank-you, I do," Mariah said while rolling her golden orbs skyward, "Moving on. I suppose I should begin by explaining to you the fundamental chain of command and social hierarchy that is obeyed by everyone here at Belmont High."

Kurumi nodded her head in agreement and the taller adolescent proceeded in her explication.

"Essentially, there are five levels to the scale. Starting at the bottom, there is the 'unpopular' category which effectively encompasses those who are considered nerds, geeks, loners, slackers, band geeks or losers –" she was cut off from speaking, her finger suspended in mid-air as she pointed to examples of the various groups in the cafeteria.

"Ooh, that's us!" Kurumi interjected enthusiastically before motioning with her hands for Mariah to continue.

"Yes, although _you_ really shouldn't be –"

"You know high heels aren't only painful to walk in, they can also _cause_ serious pain when used inappropriately."

"Heh," Mariah sheepishly said while eyeing the blond beside her wearily, "Anyway belonging to the 'unpopular' section means that you are open to attack, bullying, harassment and general humiliation by any of the people who fall in a different level of the social scale. It is also rather hard to transfer to a different sector once delegated, actually more like branded, with the title of 'unpopular', unless prior connections to people of a higher position are already established."

"What is this? 15th Century Florence?" the blond girl asked in voice that clearly suggested she thought the concept to be completely archaic and crass.

"There are distinct parallels," the hot pink haired teen stated, her tone embodying the sad truth behind the words, "Alright, the second class that a person can belong too is known as 'indifferent'. This includes the artsy people, the Goths, the Emos, the Hippies, the Greenies, the Skaters, and the Outsiders who don't fit into any other clique but fit in to this rank. Essentially, people that fall under 'indifferent' don't really care what goes on in the rest of the school and are only concerned with their individual circles. They are generally left alone by the rest of the school, but there have been instances when someone popular has preyed upon a person from this category, so they're not completely immune from assault."

"Okay, just how many different _types_ of people are there in this school?" Kurumi solicited as she surveyed the many alternating groups she had been thus far informed about from the girl she was sitting with. There were just so many! Sure, there had been different factions of students at her previous schools, but this was ridiculous! She had always thought that geeks and nerds were the same thing, but apparently she had been severely misinformed. And they were only on the second level of the hierarchy for goodness sake!

"Lots, and I'm only introducing you to the ones that are present and I can remember," Mariah responded, a smile on her face as she looked at the horrified expression on Kurumi's face, "Oh yeah, the Wannabes also come under 'indifferent'. Even though they really should be in the 'unpopular' section, they got bumped up to 'indifferent' due to the fact that the popular people find them useful and they feed their already overlarge egos."

"Naturally. So, what's number three on the scale?"

"The third division is known as the 'neutral' section. People allotted to this sector are those who are liked by everyone and subsequently get along with just about the whole school. This comprises the Pranksters, the Drama people, the Musos –"

"Musos? I'm guessing that their different from the band geeks then?"

"Yep, the Musos aren't in the school band and are relatively cool. They also play a lot of the parties and local clubs around these parts making them pretty well known," Mariah clarified, "Continuing on, the Newspaper staff, the Rebels, and the Neutrals, who are the equivalent of the Outsiders in their respective social points, are also affiliated with the 'neutral' category."

"Okay, I think I've got it so far," the blond said while going over the information in her head, "But one question, is it possible for people to associate with those from other parts of the hierarchy?"

"According to the rules, no, but in reality, yes," was the rather contradictory answer she received.

"This is gonna sound intelligent but huh?"

Mariah chuckled at the confused expression adorning Kurumi's face.

"In essence, people can be friends with those from different classes of the scale; it's just that it goes against the code, but exceptions definitely exist. Do you follow?"

"Yeah, I'm good," the shorter girl said while absorbing this new fact, attempting to integrate it with what she had already been presented with.

"Alright, next up we have the universally known 'popular' people. This consists of the Jocks, the Cheerleaders, the Preps, the Players, the Partygoers, the Bimbos, the all over Cool people, and the Badasses who are in the 'popular' division fundamentally through fear by the rest of the student body," the pink haired teen concluded as she took a breath and a big bite of her chocolate chip muffin.

"Um, I thought that you said that there are five levels in the hierarchy."

"There is."

"But you already said the 'popular' division, aren't they at the top?" Kurumi inquired curiously as she stared at Mariah, coffee cup in hand.

"Nope. That coveted position would belong to none other than what we at Belmont High like to refer to as 'Teen Royalty'," she replied after swallowing her muffin, "This group is very exclusive and is made up of the richest, most influential, or best looking people in the school. There are only about twenty or so people in this elite clique. They fundamentally rule the school and even though the Principal likes to maintain the idea that everyone is treated equal, they can basically get out of, or away with, anything."

Turning her head and casting her gaze to the large table against the far wall where Mariah was indicating, Kurumi got her first glimpse at the group revered by the rest of the school as 'Teen Royalty'.

There she saw two rather familiar figures.

"Hey Mariah," she said gaining the focus of her friend, "Who's the tall, obnoxious bluenette?"

The taller teen glanced in the direction that Kurumi was staring.

"That would be Belmont High's reigning _Rex_, Kai Hiwatari."

Kurumi sharply turned her head to face her companion. Did she just hear her correctly?

"Hiwatari? As in the Hiwatari Corporation?" the blond asked in what she hoped was a casual manner. Inside was an entirely different matter. If she assumed correctly (and really how common was the surname Hiwatari anyway?), then she was attending the same high school as another heir to one of the top five companies in the world.

"Yeah, that's right," Mariah responded while peering at Kurumi inquisitively, "He's the heir. Why?"

"Nothing," she said almost too quickly, "Just curious. The Hiwatari Corporation is a big deal is all."

"Yeah, I know right. Trust me when I say that Hiwatari knows too."

'Great, I guess I'll be seeing him around at events and what not,' the blond grumbled silently to herself, 'I should have guessed earlier that he had money and power. I mean he was a big enough narcissistic pervert when I bumped into him before.'

"You see the redhead sitting on the table?" Mariah questioned, unaware of the blond's dark and depressing thoughts, "The one with the weird hairstyle?"

"You mean Lucifer?" Kurumi deduced as she looked at the only other recognizable form at the lunch table of the 'Teen Royalty'.

"Yeah, that's the one," the pink haired teen said in a strange voice.

Was that a hint of breathlessness that Kurumi could detect?

"That's Kai Hiwatari's second in command, Tala Ivanov," Mariah supplied with eyes that were beginning to glaze over as she looked behind her at the boy lounging leisurely on the table top, "Every school has an obligatory psychotic jackass. He's ours."

Kurumi instantly distinguished the surname and associated it with Ivanov Industries, not an internationally powerful company but nevertheless prominent in the US and Russia.

She couldn't help but fight a giggle back as she turned her awareness onto Mariah once again. Her eyes were glued to the conceited devil's advocate and the blond just had to tease her.

"Do I sense crush vibes in the air?" she said while maintaining an aura of mock naïveté at the rose colour that crept onto the cheeks of her friend.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," the now blushing adolescent defended, even though her face told a completely different story. Attempting to quickly change the subject she said, "Amanda, Holly and Julia are also members of the topmost group in this school."

Understanding that Mariah didn't want to talk about her reaction and deciding against further teasing incase the aforementioned teen left her to fend for herself in the shark infested waters known as Belmont High, Kurumi acquiesced to the alteration of topics.

"So anything pertaining to fascinating that I should know about them then?"

"Well, Julia Fernandez is kind of an enigma when compared to the rest of the girls in that group," Mariah said while tilting her head in seeming contemplation, "She doesn't really fit in with their whole image, but don't ever underestimate her. She can be vicious when she has to be."

"So is she wealthy?" Kurumi asked intrigued. She couldn't place the name Fernandez even though she was wracking her brain to come up with a connection. It wasn't proving vastly successful.

"Her family isn't really rich from my knowledge, and I think the only real reason why she's allowed to even hang with that crowd is because she's really smart and of course pretty. From what I hear, she also knew Hiwatari, Ivanov and a couple of the other guys before high school so I assume they've been friends from a young age."

"Right, what about dear old Holly," the blond all but sneered out, remembering her previous encounter with the bleached orange impersonator, and earning an appreciative grin from the other teen.

"Ah yes, Miss. Brighton happens to be the daughter of the best plastic surgeon on the East Coast and consequently benefits money wise from that status," Mariah told her friend, echoing Kurumi's former tone of voice. From this, the golden haired girl could ascertain that there existed evident hostility in the bespectacled teen towards Holly and from the prior insults thrown at her from said girl, Kurumi couldn't really blame Mariah. She wouldn't really say that she was overly fond of Holly Brighton either and she had only been in her presence for a few minutes at most!

With Mariah and her antagonism, it felt more like a long term thing anyway.

Breaking her train of thought, the blond noticed that the pink haired girl was speaking once more.

"In a nutshell, she's like Barbie."

"Oh," Kurumi said, nodding her head slowly in understanding before adding, "So does that mean you can undress her anywhere?"

"Pretty much."

Golden met swirling blue, green and purple as the two adolescents looked at one another in the eye.

They promptly burst into laughter.

After several seconds, they were able to once again regain their composure and proceed with their former conversation.

"What's the deal with Queen Amanda then?" the blond asked, giggles punctuating some of the words.

"Amanda Keaton is the daughter of the CEO of LME Entertainment and flaunts her father's position at every opportunity," Mariah said almost bitterly, staring down at the shiny blue table top.

Kurumi was grateful that the other wasn't looking in her direction as she very nearly fell out of her chair. Shock registered on her beautiful face for a moment as she replayed what Mariah had only just said, before she had to bite her lip in order to stop the chuckle that was eager to spill from her mouth.

'Well, Amanda's father may be the CEO, but my father owns it!' floated through the head of the Avalon heiress as she pondered whether to say this out loud or not. She eventually decided against it as it did sound rather derogatory and pompous on her part.

Also, she didn't think that Mariah had made the association that she was an Avalon, as in Avalon Enterprises, yet and she was all for keeping low key at the present moment. She'd figure it out ultimately anyway, they always did.

"Amanda is the self-proclaimed Queen of this school and –"

"Is just like a butterfly really," a voice stated from the other side of the small table, "You know, beautiful, graceful and exquisite."

Kurumi and Mariah raised their heads to the new voice and found Amanda Keaton herself (flanked by Holly and Julia) standing opposite them, a smirk twisting her lips as she looked superiorly over them.

Wanting to wipe that expression right off her make-up laden face, and succumbing to her inability to censure what came out of her mouth, Kurumi said the first thing that came to mind, "Well, it's a good thing that they only live for seven days then."

Mariah snorted rather loudly at this proclamation and at the way in which Amanda's face went from smug to outraged in microseconds. Holly's jaw had dropped to the ground and Julia just raised a brow at the assertion, green eyes gleaming with…was that humour?

"Why you –"

The violet haired teen began to screech before stopping dead and staring at something that was located directly behind Kurumi. Finding this sudden lack of noise strange, blond and pink haired heads slowly began to turn in their seats in order to find what had ceased Amanda from throwing what would surely have been some nasty insult or other at them.

Rotating 180 degrees on the bench, Kurumi's eyes landed on someone's...er…pelvic area. A male someone. Said person was wearing dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt that did absolutely everything for them.

Lifting her magnificent eyes up, she gradually obtained the aptitude to put a face to that body and cringed inwardly upon identifying the unknown person. Without losing her confidence, and privately desiring greatly to wipe that insufferable smirk off of his face, Kurumi inquired politely,

"And to what do we owe this pleasure you're Highness?"

* * *

**Note:**

_Rex_ – Latin for King

Remember that reviews make me wanna write faster!


	4. Figures A and B Means You and Me

**Summary: **She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note:** I now present the fourth chapter for you all! I've got nothing particularly interesting to report so I'm just going to remind everyone to REVIEW!

Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter (**Sinning Angel**, **En-En-chan**, **Drentai Wolf**, **kai's wolf girl**, **Annika Preminyer**, **XxXTwilight-SinXxX**, **LoveLinkAndRobinHood**, and **R. Voltaire**) and to those who added this story to their favourite and alert lists!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

* * *

**Chapter Four – Figures A and B (Means You and Me)**

One slate eyebrow rose as the teen that it belonged to looked down at the pretty girl staring up at him from her seat at the lunch table that he was currently standing in front of.

"Your Highness?" he questioned with an arrogant smirk plastered on his pale visage, "So, you're another loyal minion are you? I think I could find several things for you to do that could appease me."

The teen said this in a voice threaded with suggestive undertones as he gave Kurumi what was undoubtedly considered an expression that would cause most of the females at this school to faint or turn into a puddle of human goo.

'Urgh, so cliché,' the blond mentally rolled her eyes at the classic playboy look, but managed to refrain from saying such a statement out loud.

Instead she replied with, "I was merely paying my respects, not commenting on my own personal stance on the whole issue," while never losing the polite tone she had adopted and completely ignoring the duo haired teens evocative propositions.

She was determined to outplay him.

"Hn," was the adolescents only reply to Kurumi's implied refusal of submissiveness. He gave her a somewhat calculating look before continuing, "I'm Kai by the way, Kai Hiwatari."

"I know."

"Really? And how would you know that?"

"Can you keep a secret?" the blond inquired in a loud whisper while gazing around, apparently checking to see that they would not be overhead. This was an ultimately futile effort as it appeared that all those seated at the neighbouring tables were listening intently to the conversation, Amanda and her friends included. Catching Mariah's eye and giving a small wink in her direction, Kurumi persisted forth with her elucidation, "I'm Cyclopea, the wielder of the All-Seeing Eye of God. I see, know and understand all. Fear me and the power that I possess at my disposal."

"I'm terrified," the tall boy said in a dry tone. He lent slightly over the seated blond, almost in a threatening manner, although his voice and face did not convey such sentiments.

"Be afraid. Be very, very afraid."

"Uh-huh, right. So, do you have a name that you use as you masquerade in the disguise of a," he paused as he ran his crimson eyes over her form, making her skin crawl, "high school student?"

"I go by Bond. James Bond," Kurumi replied, the answer verging dangerously toward sarcastic, as she began to turn back around in her seat, seemingly finished with the exchange of words.

She gave Mariah an unimpressed look as she felt the bench next to her move as the male teen sat down, apparently unprepared to yield to the demands of the shorter blond girl. In response, the pink haired teen gave her friend an incredulous look, conveying her disbelief that _the_ Kai Hiwatari was actually sitting at the same lunch table as them. The expression that she wore almost succeeded in making the golden haired girl dissolve into a fit of giggles, as she looked like she was about to go into cardiac arrest.

"No, it isn't!" Amanda Keaton shrieked, still smarting somewhat from the previous trade between Kurumi and herself. She then added heatedly, "Her name's Kurumi Avalon and she's a complete loser, just like that pink hired freak sitting next to her!"

At this announcement, and after an indifferent glance from the garnet orbs of the most wanted boy in school, Mariah coloured to an unnatural shade of red and lowered her gaze so that it rested on the blue table top. From what Kurumi could see, it also seemed as if tears were swimming in the golden eyes hidden behind the black glasses of her new friend.

Just as an acidic retort was about to leave Kurumi's tongue, someone beat her to it.

"Ouch Manda, retract the claws once in a while will you?" a voice floated from behind the blond.

Peering over her shoulder to see who had come to Mariah's rescue, Kurumi saw that it was no other than Tala Ivanov, a couple of other boys trailing after the redhead. However, he didn't appear to be angry with Amanda's comment. That is, if the amused expression on his countenance was anything to go by. In fact, he seemed to find the whole thing entertaining and the blond highly doubted that he even knew who Mariah was.

Nonetheless, with a quick examination of the slightly taller girl, Kurumi could see that her already embarrassed face had coloured even more. So much so, that it clashed rather horribly with her hot pink hair.

"Whatever. Let's just go before we catch mutant germs that affect our popularity," the purple headed teen stated maliciously, scrunching up her nose to reinforce her disgust, as she made to leave the locale.

Realizing that no one was following her movements, she stopped and rotated around to find the rest of her group in their original positions. Even to her dismay, her lapdogs Holly and Julia. Stomping her foot in a childish tantrum, Amanda stalked back over to her friends and demanded in a strangled tone, "Well?!"

"I'm not finished," the alpha male of the assortment of different students said coolly, annoyance evident in the way he spoke to the furious long violet haired teen. She proceeded to sulk moodily, but abstained from saying anything else at the present moment.

"Oh, it's quite alright," Kurumi said in a honeyed voice that simply oozed falseness. If it was any more sugary, it could've been sold as Splenda. "I'm sure that you'd be more appreciated somewhere else."

"And I'm positive that we live in a democracy that enables us the freedom of choice," Hiwatari countered succinctly, eyes narrowing marginally at the unconcealed opposition to his presence. He refused to let her win and _would_ break her, one way or another. He always managed to get his way after all and now would be no different.

"Your right, we do," the blond responded thoughtfully, earning a wider smirk from the blue haired teen seated on her right, "In that case I choose to leave but before doing so I'm going to utilise my first amendment right of freedom of speech. I'm sorry but I'm just not interested in whatever your intentions are and, judging from your expression, they're not entirely PG friendly. So, that being said, I'm flattered by your obvious attentions, but you're gonna want to find some other girl to play your games with."

With that, Kurumi stood up from the table and went to walk away, Mariah at her side, who was staring wide eyed at the picture unfolding before her.

_No one_ rejected Kai Hiwatari.

In fact, most girl's would kill their own mother's to get a shot with him, even with the full knowledge that he really didn't care about them and would simply treat them as toys to be used at his will. Even such information didn't stem the flow of admiration and adoration that pulsed throughout the school, and even beyond its borders, for the rich and handsome (according to general consensus of course) heir to the Hiwatari Corporation. If anything, it made him all the more desired and revered as each girl dreamed of being the one to change his evil ways, even though such a feat had yet to be achieved. And still they persevered in falling victim to his charms and bowing down to his every whim, heartbroken when he moved on after getting bored, but never hesitating to return if he so wished.

Yep, he was a bona fide playboy, and had the fanclub to prove it.

"Wouldn't want to say anything you'd live to regret now would you?" the bluenette said with a hint of frostiness icing his baritone voice, standing up as well, "I can be very persuasive if the need arise and as such can make things rather...unpleasant for you here. With this being your first day and all, I'm sure that you wouldn't want the rest of your high school experience to be marred by one small, asinine mistake, would you?"

A cold glint in garnet orbs accompanied this warning, clearly expressing the two-toned haired adolescent's aggravation by the blond's stubborn denial to bend to his inclination. She was undeniably frustrating, and the amused look that Tala was sending him wasn't making the situation any better!

"Pythagoras Theorem states that 'a (squared) + b (squared) equals c (squared)'," Kurumi began, changing tactics at the speed of light, "If you were 'a (squared)', and I was 'b (squared)', do you know what 'c (squared)' would equal?"

"What?" the King of Belmont High inquired, somewhat confused as to where this was going exactly. He wasn't the only one; Tala and the rest of his friends looked puzzled, as did many of the people eavesdropping from the nearby lunch tables. Even that pink haired girl that Amanda hated, but who seemed to have befriended the reason for his current confusion, was watching in curiosity, waiting to see where the blond was taking this.

"Zero," Kurumi stated, a fierce aura of obstinate energy empowering her and fuelling her words, "As in there's a zero percent chance of there ever being a 'you + me' in the first place!"

A collective gasp resounded throughout the now silent and avidly listening cafeteria as all present appeared to take a sharp intake of breath at the same time. To their complete and utter shock, this strange new girl had just openly opposed _and rejected_ the leader of the 'Teen Royalty'.

It was unanimously agreed that her fate had been sealed and it was looking rather grim.

Kurumi, however, paid their audience no heed as her eyes danced in triumph and undisguised pleasure as she stared down the glowering male facing her. If it was possible for looks to kill, then Kurumi would've been buried and six feet under 3 minutes ago.

Everyone waited with bated breath to see what would happen next. According to the rules of combat, it was now Hiwatari's move.

As if in slow motion, he took the few steps that existed between the shorter blond and himself, closing the space and bending down to whisper in her ear.

"You're going to regret the day you ever messed with me," he hissed dangerously, the rest of the student body craning their heads to try and hear what the bluenette was saying, "I'm going to make you rue the day that you decided to attend Belmont High and, as an added bonus, I'm sure that I can arrange a way to make wish you were never born."

Straightening back up to his full height, the affronted teen piercingly observed the girl that had effectively humiliated him in front of the majority of the school. He eagerly watched for her expression, fully expecting her to crack under such pressure.

He was to be sourly disappointed however.

"Was that a threat?" Kurumi asked while arching a golden eyebrow, her voice carrying unmistakably throughout the hushed cafeteria and causing several people to look at one another in astonishment and in some cases fear. The person she was addressing, however, merely smirked imperiously and said nothing. In response, she gave a smirk of her own and continued, "Or is that a challenge?"

"Take it as you will. But know this," the arrogant duo haired teen stated, leaning forward a little so that he was towering over his quarry and displaying his authority, "I _never_ lose."

"Neither do I," was the daring and fearless reply.

'I'm sorry Mr. Kent,' Kurumi mentally sent out to the absent Principal, 'I know I said that I was like a Honda, but somehow I think I may have just upgraded to a BMW.'

The tension in the food hall was practically tangible as everyone in attendance had their eyes glued to the two teens standing a foot apart and glaring at one another, each daring the other to back down first with their eyes.

Neither was willing to give in though.

"Is there a problem here?" a voice called out from behind the King of the school.

The unexpected disturbance made Kurumi tear her gaze from that of the now smirking bluenette as he silently told her that she'd just lost. Resisting the urge to contest such a pronouncement, the blond turned her awareness to the figure that had caused her to break her concentration in the first place.

There Porter was standing, looking lazily on the site before him, as he waited for an answer to his inquisition. His countenance outlined that he knew something was going on, but it also conveyed the feeling that he really didn't care that much. If truth be told, it actually suggested that he was merely doing the required thing in order to protect his job as a teacher, and that he was personally more inclined to let them sort it out themselves.

"Wouldn't want to make a scene now would you?" Hiwatari muttered so quietly that only Kurumi could hear, his back still facing Porter, and his tone portraying a note of confrontation as he dared her to involve the aforementioned in their struggle.

"You won't get a scene; you'll get a Broadway musical," the blond retorted from the corner of her mouth as she smiled innocently at her History teacher and replied to his query with, "Oh, nothing Shakespeare couldn't turn into a really good play."

"Well I'd look forward to reading it if he wasn't dead," the young educator responded, "Now feel free to get to class because the bell's already gone."

The bell rang as soon as Porter finished speaking.

Kurumi gave him a look that demonstrated her belief that he was creepy in all senses of the word before turning back to her new nemesis. Tossing one last glare his way, which he readily returned, she spun on her heel and walked rebelliously through the unmoving bodies of her peers, Mariah in tow, and out of the double doors of the cafeteria.

One thing was certain however.

And it was clear to all those present.

The gauntlet had been thrown down and blood would be spilled.

* * *

Kurumi and Mariah walked in silence down the hallway, the latter girl glancing hesitantly every so often at the former, as they made their way to double Science.

Finally the blond broke the quiet when she exclaimed suddenly, "I _knew_ I didn't like that Bruce impressionist when I first bumped into him!"

"What? I was under the impression that you'd never met Hiwatari before," the hot pink haired teen said perplexed, scrunching her face up to communicate this feeling.

"Oh well, kind of," Kurumi replied distractedly, her mind still on the events that had transpired minutes before. Noticing the still befuddled appearance on her friend, she elucidated further, "I have limited map reading skills it turns out, and I may have gotten a wee bit lost on my way to Latin this morning, although it wasn't anything to write a TV show about. Anyway, I was saved from my predicament by Ivanov as it turns out, who then proceeded to go all Austin Powers on me and try to use his Mojo, which invariably failed. As I went to walk away from him, Hiwatari was blocking my path. He looked me up and down; I made some witty remark and then left. And that, my friend, was my first encounter with the arrogant jerk."

Looking at Mariah, the golden haired teen saw that she resembled a goldfish, mouth opening and closing several times before she spoke.

"Did you just compare Ivanov to Austin Powers?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow, disturbing image. Can you imagine that hair with that blue velvet suit?" the taller girl asked as she envisioned the alarming picture. There was only one word to describe it...

"Ew. Your right," Kurumi concurred, shivering slightly at the ugliness of it all, "Remind me never to make such a comparison again."

"Agreed," Mariah stated whole heartedly while chasing the illustration out of her mind, "Moving on, do you know what you've done by incurring the wrath of the ruler of Belmont High?"

"Nope, not in the least," Kurumi bluntly and honestly stated, "But judging by the look on your face, it can't be good."

"The word 'doom' comes to mind."

"My future's looking awfully bright isn't it?"

"Like looking directly into the sun," Mariah replied in a tone that expressed her contradictory opinion to this testimonial.

"There go the retinas," the blond quipped in an attempt to lighten the suddenly gloomy mood. She then stopped and turned to face the other girl, making her halt mid-step and raise an eyebrow, as Kurumi sombrely began to speak, "I completely understand if you don't want to get involved in what I'm assuming is probably going to be akin to World War III, and have subsequently decided to disown me. I'll respect that and won't stalk you."

"What are you on about now?" Mariah asked bemused, "You're the first real friend I've had at this school. I'm not going to abandon you, especially when you chose me over Amanda. You're going to need all the help you can get now that you've made enemies with Hiwatari and if truth be told, I'm kinda sick of always being ignored, especially when people think I'm invisible and sit on me. That's never any fun. So, I think I'll stick with having a friend and facing the consequences that invariably come with having such an associate. And anyway, someone's going to have to be there to scrape your carcass off the floor."

"Ye of little faith," Kurumi countered, "And I'm touched that you'd choose me over a peaceful existence. This is such a moment."

"It really is," Mariah agreed, nodding her head in accordance while walking over the threshold of the Science classroom.

"You there! And you there!" a booming voice suddenly called out, startling both girl's from their discussion and causing them to stop in their tracks. A thick set arm pointed in the direction of the desks that the voice, which Kurumi surmised belonged to the teacher, wanted each teen to go and sit at. Following the instructions, Kurumi and Mariah made their way to their assigned tables.

Mariah was position at a bench in the back right-hand corner of the room and Kurumi was at the desk in front of it, the chairs next to each girl empty. Apparently, this class had assigned seating.

Glancing back at the teacher the blond girl was having a hard time distinguishing the gender of the educator as the short, military hairstyle and simple shirt and slacks combination didn't aid in specifying this particular detail. The person standing by the door and barking out orders at the entering students was tall and solidly built, very masculine in appearance, and yet there was something about them that suggested otherwise.

Coming to the decision that it was probably in her best interest to clarify this matter with Mariah, Kurumi turned around in her seat and whispered,

"So, please enlighten me. Does the teacher have an X or a Y chromosome?"

"Hey, your guess is as good as mine. There's been a pool going ever since freshman year to see if anyone can figure that one out," the pink haired girl replied to the blonds' question. After seeing the sceptical expression on Kurumi's face however, she added earnestly, "Seriously, it's up over 1,000 now."

"Well, what's their name?" the shorter teen inquired, determined to solve the mystery.

"Coach Carter."

"Huh, okay. First name?"

"Sam."

"Well, that's not generic in the least," Kurumi said rather put out.

She perked up once again though when she saw that Coach Carter had assigned someone to be her desk partner.

The girl walking toward her was around the same height as Kurumi and was dressed in a tight black and purple top, black tulle skirt that reached about the knee, fishnet tights and black platform boots that laced up to just under the knee. She also sported black finger nails and heavy eye make-up.

It was, however, her hair that was the most distinctive thing about her. It was coloured the most impenetrable shade of black and reached to just under her shoulders, cut into an assortment of choppy layers. The last inch of each of the layers was dyed in a myriad of colours, blending reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, pinks, purples and even white, in order to create an explosion of shades that contrasted greatly with the dark base colour.

It was the coolest hairstyle that Kurumi had ever seen.

Opening her mouth to inform the teen of this, she was cut off before she could even get the first word out.

"So, you're the one who stood up to King Kai then," the unnamed girl said in an appraising monotone, staring and sizing Kurumi up with her crimson eyes.

Come to think of it there was something awfully familiar about those eyes and the shape of her face...

"I like you already," she determined as she sat down in the unoccupied seat, snapping Kurumi from her musings and bringing her back to reality.

"Thanks. I take it that you're not another one of his groupies then?" she asked while rolling her eyes at the prospect.

The multi-coloured haired teen snorted deridingly, a glint in her red orbs that proposed that she knew something that the blond didn't, but didn't respond to the question. Instead she stated,

"I'm Anastasia, but call me Ana."

"Ooh can I call you Ana Banana?"

"You could get stabbed to death, drowned, burned alive, poisoned, decapitated by a blunt axe, choked by a jawbreaker; there are a lot of creative ways to kill," the girl replied sadistically to the question.

"I'll take that as a no then."

"That's a hell no."

"Duly noted."

The two stared at one another for a second before Kurumi tilted her head to the side and butchered the quite with her curiosity.

"So, are you an Emo or a Goth? Because your hair says Emo while your clothes say Goth..."

"I alternate," was the motioned reply.

"Oh, so you're an Emoth?" Kurumi inquired, earning an unappreciative glare from the other, "No? How about a Gomo then?"

Ana didn't even dignify the query with an answer, choosing instead to ignore the blond and her brainless questions.

Giving up on the girl after realising that she wouldn't be getting any response to her quizzing, she turned back around to talk to Mariah.

There, sitting diagonally across from her and next to an almost hyperventilating Mariah, grinning wolfishly, was none other than Tala Ivanov.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

The expression on her face went from grin to grimace instantaneously, only serving to widen his smirk further.

"You know Blondie, you should really be paying me compensation," the redhead continued while looking disinterestedly at his nails.

"And why would I do such a thing?" Kurumi bit out while sending virtual daggers Ivanov's way. He wasn't as despised as Hiwatari was, but he ran a close second.

"I'm the one who's really going to suffer in all of this. I'm going to have to endure Kai's bitching and moaning while helping him with whatever he plans, thereby resulting in my needing to be rewarded for my efforts."

"Your problem, not mine. Get a new BFF if you're so worried about it then."

"That's where you're wrong. It's entirely you're fault. If you just left now, then it would save a _whole_ lot of trouble for everyone involved."

"Hmm...," Kurumi seemingly contemplated the option before saying sweetly, "How about no?"

"Then I need compensation. How about you come around to my place tonight and we can organise how you're going to pay," the redhead proposed while raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Screw you Ivanov," the blond retorted heatedly, turning back around after throwing a sympathetic glance at Mariah who still couldn't quite believe who she was sitting with. Before rotating all the way round, she suddenly stopped and quickly twisted back around to hiss at the self-satisfied boy, "Oh, and by the way, you're not worth the Crisco you seem to use as styling gel."

Kurumi spun in her seat and faced the front of the room where Coach Carter was beginning to address the assembled class. From behind she heard the soft rumble of laughter as the teen it originated from stared at the back of the golden haired girl.

No more was heard from him for the rest of the double period.

Although, an uncomfortable feeling accompanied the blond teen for the rest of the Science class as she felt the unmistakable sensation of eyes watching her intently from behind.

* * *

Kurumi sat alone on a low stone wall in the parking lot of Belmont High, waiting for her mother to arrive and pick her up. It was the end of the day and she was reflecting on all that had occurred throughout it.

Stopping on her confrontation with the most popular and sort after boy in school, she ran over the events that had transpired since break that morning. It totalled to a huge...

Nothing.

Hiwatari had not made a single move all day and it was rather disconcerting. After all, he seemed so intent upon ruining her high school life that it seemed kind of wrong that he hadn't done anything yet. In fact, the _only_ thing she had experienced during the course of the day was people staring at her when she walked by and quickly whispering to their friends.

Wait...that wasn't entirely true.

When she had passed Holly in the hallway that afternoon, said girl had purposely rammed into her and made the blond drop her books, kicking some of them away. Apart from that immature reaction, absolutely _zilch_ had taken place that was a cause for concern.

That was fine with her.

She'd bide her time and wait for the conceited Hiwatari to make the first move, and then respond accordingly. This way it gave her more time to plan and make arrangements, as it was always better to have numerous options available for consideration. Perhaps her nemesis thought the same thing...

Just then the ever energetic Akiko Avalon pulled up in her swanky silver Mercedes, and stopped in front of where her daughter was sitting. Beeping the horn loudly to gain the attention of her preoccupied offspring, she waited for the girl to enter the car.

"What's up with you? You were thinking so hard that I was tempted to hang a sign around your neck and call you 'The Lost David' by Michelangelo," the woman asked of her child.

"Have you ever disliked someone so much on first sight that you get this tight burning feeling in your chest that'll only go away if they were to disappear off the face of the planet?" Kurumi countered with a question of her own.

"Sure," Akiko said nodding her head to affirm this, "But then I found out that it was just heartburn."

The blond looked at her mother's faraway expression with disbelief. Sometimes she was so random.

"Trust me, it's not."

"I'm sensing some negativity here. Care to share?"

The younger Avalon complied with this request with fervour and proceeded to inform her mother all about her day; the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

"So, let me get this straight. On the downside, you made enemies with the most popular and powerful people in school who are more than likely to follow through with their threats, but on the upside you did manage to make one friend," Akiko simplified the extravagant narration to make sure that she'd understood.

"Yep."

"At least it was an interesting first day," the redhead said cheerfully, "Now, any inside tips on whom I should be taking bets on as to who will come out as victor of this death match?"

"Some mother's would fear for the safety of their children, others would chastise them for provoking such fights in the first place. But no, mine asks for the odds on whether I can win or not in order to determine whether she should bet on her own flesh and blood or the opposition," Kurumi said aloud in incredulity to no one in particular, "Typical."

"No need to get all dramatic, I was merely taking an interest in your life," the woman defended with her hands raised in surrender, "And while we're at it there's something I need to tell you."

Akiko had turned rather serious at this pronouncement and Kurumi sat up straighter to listen intently.

"Hon," she stopped and looked regretfully at her daughter, "You're adopted."

Kurumi just stared back and said nothing.

Turning jovial once more the crazy redhead added, "Therefore there's no need to get all uptight about me betting against my own flesh and blood as I technically wouldn't be!"

The younger blond rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "And you _so_ got my hopes up."

"Sorry babe, but even you can't deny that you belong to someone else."

"'Tis the sad truth," Kurumi responded while her mother started the car and the two Avalon's began to make their way out of the parking lot of Belmont High.

As they drove off down the tree-lined streets of suburban New York, the banter flowed freely, and Kurumi wondered idly if tomorrow would be D-day.

* * *

Please remember to review everyone because it encourages me to write faster!


	5. That Damn Donna Reed

**Summary:** She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note: **Well, here is Chapter Five! Just the usual reminder to REVIEW if you could because it would be greatly appreciated by me and have fun reading!

IMPORTANT: Just to clarify, because I've had a couple of people ask about this, Kurumi IS NOT adopted! It was just a joke; sorry if that wasn't particularly clear! Her mother is most definitely Akiko (remember way back in Chapter One when Kurumi's appearance was described, the features that she obtained from both of her parents were recounted!) and her father is undeniably, well…you haven't met him yet so I can't really say anything about him at the present moment! But, again, Kurumi isn't adopted!

Huge thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter (**XxXTwilight-SinXxX**, **Sinning Angel**, **Drentai Wolf**, **musiclover9419**, **kai's wolf girl**, **Annika Preminyer**, **En-En-chan**, **LoveLinkAndRobinHood**, **Megandary**, **TsukiKishuko**, and **R. Voltaire**) and to those who added this story to their favourite and alert lists!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

* * *

**Chapter Five – That Damn Donna Reed**

Standing in front of the open locker, Kurumi didn't move a muscle as she fixated her gaze on the contents of the metal box.

Correction, the _lack_ of contents.

The gun-metal coloured locker was completely empty and bare of what little possessions that had previously resided within its depths, save for one piece of thick cream paper. This article had been folded in half and lain neatly on the middle shelf, resting their ingenuously and for all to see.

Opening it carefully, Kurumi read the four simple words that had been imprinted on it in beautiful crisp, black calligraphy.

_Let the games begin_.

The blond didn't even have to waste a single brain cell trying to determine who had left the not-so-mysterious note. The image of a certain cocky bluenette materialized in her mind's eye as she considered the phrase and all the connotations that went with it.

It was on.

However, there were still some minor details that she needed to rectify before a full on assault was feasible from her frontier at least.

One thing had become clearer than crystal to her the previous night, in amidst her frenzied brain storming sessions, and that was that she didn't actually know that much about her nemesis. She could recount the number of things on one hand in fact, excluding of course her own biased opinions and skewed views regarding said teen.

And it was universally known that one of the cardinal rules of battle was to 'know you're enemy'.

This therefore left her in a slight predicament.

He was unknown territory that needed to be uncovered.

Only one conclusion could be drawn.

Reconnaissance was imperative.

Luckily for her, she had come to this realisation quite early on in the night and had hence devised a way to eliminate, or at least remove some of, this deficiency.

But for that she needed Mariah's help.

Hopefully, the pink haired girl would be willing to assist in an operation that, if they failed and were subsequently caught, could possibly result in numerous detentions or suspension at best. At worst, expulsion or if they were really ill-fated, arrest.

That is of course if breaking and entering was still considered an illegal activity in the United States of America.

...Yeah, that's what the blond had figured.

'Oh well. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do,' Kurumi thought resolutely to herself as she put her yellow leather bag away and took out the appropriate books for her first class.

Briefly wondering about the safety of her belongings in the obviously compromised locker, she decided that it would probably be better to ask Mariah to stick the expensive bag and assorted textbooks and stationary items in her, hopefully untouched, metal locker. She therefore took everything out, closed the door, and made her way to find her friend.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes."

"Affirmative?'

"_Yes_."

"Definite?"

"Okay, now you're just listing synonyms," Kurumi said while looking pointedly at Mariah as the two girls walked out of homeroom. They were attempting to work out the finer details of their plan after the taller teen had agreed to help with the essential gathering of information.

"I just don't think it's altogether necessary," Mariah responded doubtfully.

"Not necessary? Not necessary?! Of _course_ it's necessary!" Kurumi exclaimed, trying valiantly to emphasis her point, "We just absolutely, positively, without a doubt, 100 per cent _have_ to have thief names!"

"Says who?"

"Only the very foundational code that governs the world of thievery, deceit and larceny!" Kurumi cried while pointing her finger in the air dramatically. She was determined that she was going to convince Mariah that she was right if it was the last thing she did.

"Fine, fine, we'll have thief names," the pink haired girl finally conceded while shaking her head at the foolishness of it all. Honestly, the whole idea was a bit ridiculous in her opinion. Kurumi's plan wasn't even that unlawful; wrong, yes, illegal, she highly doubted it. But being who she was, she decided to go with the flow as the blond was so enthused about the whole concept.

"Yes!" the shorter teen cheered loudly, "You can be the Pink Panther and I'll be the...um...any suggestions?"

"How about the Golden Goose?" Mariah suggested while grinning wickedly at her friend. Before Kurumi was able to protest, she cut her off, "Well, I must be going. Have fun in Home Ec."

She then quickly walked away amid the shouted protests of the other girl.

Kurumi gave up on her objections when she realised that Mariah had already turned the corner and was subsequently out of earshot. Scowling somewhat at her misfortune and shuddering at the thought of the class she was heading to, Kurumi turned on her black patent, double strapped Mary Jane, Miu Miu heels and made her way in the opposite direction to the just departed hot pink haired adolescent.

A couple of minutes, three floors, and numerous hallways later, the blond came to the blue door that would lead into the Home Economics classroom, a.k.a. the class of horrors. She paused in front of it as she had a premonition of the disasters that awaited her behind the innocuous door.

If there was one subject that she really didn't like, then it would have to be Home Economics. On second thought, that wasn't the altogether truth.

She detested Gym too.

She silently cursed whatever deity deigned to place her in such a predicament. That and the fact that she had had to take whatever classes weren't completely full yet as she had missed the date for subject preference selection.

Stealing herself for her inevitable fate, Kurumi pushed open the door and entered the dungeon of doom.

Inside the large room, instead of the usual table and chairs configuration, there were square benches that seated four people (two each on opposing sides) in the middle of the room with sinks, ovens, microwaves, and other various appliances around the perimeter of the area. All of the space was used effectively to accommodate all of the pivotal equipment required to teach a person how to cook and was quite a nice set up when it came down to it.

'Too bad it's not gonna help me,' the blond thought to herself as she sat down at a table towards the back of the room. After all, her experience in the domestic arena when it came to cooking had never been pleasant for anyone involved. Things tended to catch fire and burn beyond recognition, a skill she had inherited from her most beloved mother Akiko. At home, she had been officially banned from ever even entertaining the thought of making something in the kitchen by all of the staff, something she had readily agreed to, particularly after the last time she had ever felt inclined to bake. That incident had resulted in a call to the fire department, four fire trucks and one burnt out, dilapidated main kitchen in the Avalon mansion. It hadn't been pretty.

It seemed that she just wasn't designed to be a domestic goddess...

Retracting herself from the disheartening memory, Kurumi instead busied herself with observing her classmates.

There were a few other people present but no one that really caught her eye. They all seemed to be grouped together or else saving their benches for their friends who had yet to arrive.

The minutes trickled by and the class was filling up rather quickly, but no one had yet approached the lone blond in the back of the room, making her sigh woefully. That is until –

"Excuse me, but can I sit here?"

Looking up at the sudden question directed her way, Kurumi saw that a blond haired boy with a cheery demeanour stood on the opposite side of the bench and was indicating to one of the free chairs there.

Smiling widely at him, Kurumi replied, "Sure! That is, if you don't mind sitting with an Emiliano Zapata incarnate."

Grinning goofily at her, the boy sat down and proceeded to introduce himself.

"I'm Max Tate and it's nice to meet you Zapata," he informed her, bright blue eyes shining in amusement, "Or should I be calling you something else?"

"It might be best if you refer to me as Kurumi Avalon, just in case Porfirio Diaz is around here somewhere."

"Hmm, I think he is actually, but he goes by the name of Kai Hiwatari," Max winked at her as she laughed. There was something about him that instantly put her at ease and he had a happy and joking presence about him. Plus, it definitely didn't hurt that he was cute, in a babyish kind of way.

"So, tell me Mr. Tate, are you with me or against me?" Kurumi asked in a mock serious manner as she arranged her expression into one of concentrated assessment.

"I am impartial to the whole state of affairs," the teen replied neutrally before adding with a mischievous grin, "Unless of course one side is in dire need of the assistance of a seasoned Prankster."

"A Prankster huh? I shall keep such information as that in mind then –"

"Hey Maxie," a masculine voice interrupted Kurumi as she was speaking. Turning to see who it was that had cut her off mid-speech, the short blond girl was more than pleasantly surprised.

A tall black haired boy with golden eyes and a _very_ handsome face, dressed casually in a white tee, blue jeans and red Chucks (Kurumi had realised yesterday that these items of clothing seemed to be the standard uniform for most of the boys at Belmont High), was stopped by the table and staring at the two seated figures benignly.

Behind him stood an even taller, more built teen with a head of light lavender hair and eyes coloured the same shade. He bore a dark, but not unattractive, countenance and appeared to be rather out of it. If there was one word that Kurumi could use to describe him it would be...scary.

Shifting her gaze back onto Max with a curious look upon her face, she waited for him to speak.

"Oh, hey Ray," the merry blond responded to the salutation of the raven haired boy before addressing the stoic teen behind him, "Bryan."

Said boy merely grunted in response.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Ray continued on, ignoring the rudeness of his friend.

"Is that alright?" Max turned his attention toward Kurumi as he asked for her permission.

"Yeah sure, I don't mind. I mean seriously, who else is going to sit next to me? I don't think that Ralph really constitutes as an appropriate candidate," the only female of the small group said.

"Ah, Ralph?" the other blond inquired in puzzlement.

"My imaginary friend," Kurumi replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Damn, your right," Max said, "I guess I can strike Danny off the list then too huh?"

"Yeah," the golden haired girl answered while nodding her head sadly at the reality of it all, "Just because we can see them, and the rest of the world can't, they're classified as figments of our imaginations and stripped of all rights associated with corporeal bodies."

"Oh, the injustice of it all!" proclaimed an affronted Max, while an amused Ray looked on and an expressionless Bryan stared straight at Kurumi.

'Creepy,' the blond thought as she sweat dropped mentally and attempted to avoid the light purple gaze that was currently boring into the side of her head. It was rather disturbing.

"So, are you guys gonna sit down or have we frightened you off with our inherent weirdness?" she inquired jokingly as she tried to block out the eerie feeling of unmoving eyes on her. It didn't particularly help as the boy the penetrating look belonged to sat directly opposite of Kurumi, next to Max, and continued to stare.

Resisting the urge to shudder, the diminutive girl endeavoured to look on the bright side of things; the teen named Ray had taken the seat next to her. That was A-OK in her books.

Just then, the teacher (a short, plump woman with a shock of grey hair) entered the room and hushed the chattering students in order to begin the lesson.

"Good morning everyone!" she proclaimed jollily, "I'm glad that everyone is looking wide eyed and awake this morning. Now I know that it's customary to only do theory in the first lesson, but as seeing as you're all bright and fresh today, how about we start the new year by making cupcakes?"

Many cheers and exclamations of affirmation met this question from most of the students, except a tiny handful who remained quite or impartial, or in the case of one blond girl in the back of the room, an expletive of utter dismay.

'She couldn't delay the torture for a couple more days?' Kurumi mentally asked in a voice of complete anguish. The enthusiastic tone that Mrs. Jenkins (she had written her name on the board) was using also wasn't helping the situation any. She was _far_ too chipper for this early in the morning.

"Excellent!" Mrs. Jenkins said happily as she surveyed the class, "Now, before we start I want each of you to look at the person sitting next to you. They will be your partner for the rest of the semester!" she looked around expectantly, "I want each of you to call out your name so I can record whose working with whom. Starting at this table in the front please."

Kurumi's eyes had widened considerably after hearing that she would be working with the appealing teen beside her for the coming months, and she had even momentarily forgotten about the eyes watching her in her distress. This was horrible! She was almost guaranteed to fail the practical component of this subject and now she was going to be taking the boy sitting unknowingly beside her down the same unfortunate road.

Damn.

And he was cute too!

Apparently, it just wasn't her day.

Miserably focusing back onto her surroundings, Kurumi realised that the teacher had reached her table and the other blond located at the bench was speaking.

"Max Tate."

"Bryan Kyznetsov."

"Kurumi Avalon."

"Ray Kon."

"Great!" Mrs. Jenkins said as she wrote the last name on her list, "Alright, let's get started shall we?"

"I feel it prudent to warn you now," Kurumi turned to talk to her partner and educate him on her complete lack of culinary skills, "I am no Martha Steward, Jamie Oliver, or Gordon Ramsey. And I am most definitely no Donna Reed. In fact people tend to avoid ever mentioning my name in the same sentence as the words cooking, baking or anything related to the culinary arts for fear of sporadic and terrifying repercussions."

"I'm sure you can't be that bad," Ray tried to reason with her, an entertained expression on his face as he listened to the blond's fanatical speech. If anything, she was certainly interesting.

"The words unintentional pyromaniac come to mind," the shorter teen stated with force, seemingly trying to beat the point into the raven haired boys head. He gave her a doubtful look as they gathered the items that they would need to make the sweet treats.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

An hour and a half later and Kurumi stood in front of the square table looking at a tray of cremated cupcakes. They were perfectly black, coated in charcoal that had formed from burnt carbon, and were in no way fit for human consumption.

"Do you think if I touched it, it'd disintegrate?" Max inquired from the other side of the counter, six flawlessly fashioned cupcakes sitting gloriously in front of him and Bryan, as he stared with warped curiosity at the mess in front of Kurumi and Ray.

"Probably," Ray said while looking dubiously at what was supposed to have been an almost fool proof recipe. He glanced from the corner of his golden eyes at the girl beside him who was staring nearly forlornly at the pile of inedible cinders, an expression of sorrow gracing her unique features. He felt the overwhelming need to comfort the golden haired teen after witnessing such a pitiful countenance, "Don't worry about it Kurumi. Just think it could have been a lot worse. At least they kept their shape. Anyway, I'm sure we'll do heaps better next time."

She perked up a little at that, a slight smile on her lips as she turned to face him.

"Yeah, your right. I guess we should be lucky that nothing exploded this time huh?" the blond asked as she began to pack away her belongings, the bell signalling break having just gone, and seeming dead serious.

"Exploded?!" the black haired adolescent cried out, eyes bugging somewhat at the connotations associated with such a scenario, and at the fact that Kurumi was gazing at him in earnestness. He thought she had been exaggerating before when she had said that she couldn't cook, but after observing what she had managed to do to the poor cupcakes, he had a feeling that making something explode wasn't such a stretch of the imagination. "Remind me to never let you near the oven ever again."

"Normally I would argue against such discrimination, but in this case I whole-heartedly agree with you," Kurumi replied sombrely, picking up her books and preparing to leave the classroom, the smouldering pile of ruined cupcakes remaining firmly on the bench. She had absolutely no desire to claim them as her own.

Ray tentatively picked up the tray of wreaked sweet cakes and questioned the blond girl, "So, bin then?"

"Yep, unless you enjoy eating mouthfuls of ash. Hey, it's your prerogative if you do," she responded grinning. She had to side step quickly as part of a charcoal cupcake came flying her way. In retaliation she stuck her tongue out in the most childish of manners.

"Wow, real mature guys," Max commented as he made a big deal out of taking a bite out of his faultlessly constructed chocolate frosted treat.

"Now that's just cruel!" Kurumi pouted as she stared longingly at the half-eaten cupcake. She really wanted one now, especially as everyone else's had turned out like the pictures on the recipe sheet.

Turning around so she wouldn't have to view the spectacle, and huffing indignantly at Max's behaviour, she was startled to see a hand holding a pink iced cupcake being thrust out in front of her. Startled, she looked up the arm to see who it belonged to. There stood Bryan, arm outstretched and face as frozen as ever, staring piercingly at the blond like he had done all double period, while holding one of his cupcakes out to her.

"Oh! It's alright, I was only joking, Thanks anyway Bryan," Kurumi said gratefully, politely declining the stoic teens offer. After all, he hadn't spoken a word to her all class. In fact, the only time he had spoken in the last couple of hours had been at the very beginning of the Home Economics class when Mrs. Jenkins had asked them all to say their names. Whenever Max or Ray had spoken to him, he'd merely grunted in response.

"Take it," the tall and imposing teen said in a nearly dangerous tone as he shoved the cupcake in Kurumi's face and glared at her.

"Ah, thanks then. Looks delicious," the short blond replied back weakly while accepting the treat from the lavender haired boy standing over her. She was afraid to see what would happen if she was to refuse his generous offer again.

Seemingly appeased, Bryan turned around and walked out of the room, scattering those few students who were in his way with a single glower. Apparently, it wasn't just Kurumi who thought he was rather terrifying.

"Alright, well I better go," Ray said as he watched the empty space that his friend had once occupied and began making his way to the door too, "I'll see you later then. Bye Max, later Pyro."

Kurumi scowled at the jibe and picked up one of the charred cupcakes, lobbing it at Ray's back as he was about to exit the room, "I am not a Pyro, I am merely lacking in the skills department!"

The cake met its mark with a dull thud and an "Ow!" from Ray. He picked up the quickly decaying treat and threw it back, smacking Kurumi dead on in the forehead and laughing loudly at her expression before running from the room.

"You are _so_ going to get it next time I see you Ray Kon!"

Wiping the blackened ash from her face and narrowing her eyes at Max who was chuckling at her misfortune, Kurumi picked up her books and cupcake with as much dignity as she could muster and proceeded to walk imperiously in her designer heels from the classroom.

* * *

The door to the girl's bathroom opened and closed and the sound of several people entering could be heard reverberating on the tiled floor as Kurumi went about her business in one of the cubicles. The soft sound of something being dragged against the ground also echoed through the otherwise untouched air as the unidentified people moved around.

She thought nothing of it until she went to unlock the door of the toilet she was in and found that it wouldn't budge.

It was locked fast.

"What?" she muttered as she pushed and pulled on the door to try and make it open. It wouldn't move.

She was just about to slam her body against it, thinking that it must have been jammed when a sound from above her made her look up.

That turned out to be a huge mistake.

There looking back down at her from the other side of the door was none other than Amanda Keaton and Holly Brighton. They must have been standing on something in order to peer over the rather high cubicle wall and Kurumi deduced that that probably accounted for the scraping sound she had heard earlier.

"You do know that stalking is illegal in all fifty states right?" the blond girl queried casually as she persevered in staring up at the other two teens. They both donned identical evil expressions which instantly set Kurumi on edge, but she refused to let them see that.

"And you do know that if you mess with Kai, you mess with all of us right?" the violet haired teen countered, her malevolent expression only widening as she saw the blonds' cheeks tinge faintly with rage at the mention of her enemy.

"What, can't the big bad wolf fight his own battles then? Isn't that kind of pathetic?" the trapped teen inquired, maintaining quite convincingly an air of nonchalance.

"You're not scared are you?" Holly asked nastily, her voice taking on a baby tone as she mocked Kurumi.

"Of what? Butch Cassidy and the Sun-dunce kid?" the blond asked in a voice that clearly stated that she was making fun of them.

"Whatever," Amanda replied as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder and turned more towards Holly, "Hey Hol, don't you think that Avalon is looking a little hot in there?"

"Uh-huh," the fake blond responded with a glint in her blue eyes that could only mean trouble for Kurumi, "I think she could use something to help her cool off."

With that, the two reached down beside them and heaved a large bucket up.

"This should help," they both said in unison as they tipped the container and its mysterious contents directly over the imprisoned girl's head.

Kurumi breathed in with a sharp gasp as she felt the clear, cold liquid travel down her head and body, seeping immediately into her clothes and turning her hair into a sopping mass. At first, she thought that all Amanda and Holly had dumped on her was a pail full of water but when her olfactory senses began to work, she became aware of a revolting smell. A very, very revolting smell.

And it was emanating from whatever she was drenched in!

'Ew!' she whimpered silently as the bathroom filled with raucous laughter. It rebounded off of the lined walls and tiled floor and was amplified to an almost unbearable degree. Several voices were distinguishable and Kurumi was beyond positive that two of them belonged to a purple haired and a bleached haired girl respectively. They were going to pay for making her smell like a sewer!

And Hiwatari! When she got her hands on him she was going to take the utmost pleasure in wrapping them around his pale neck and strangling him to within an inch of his life. She had absolutely no misgivings about who planned this little scene and he was going to suffer accordingly for it. After all, he had just ruined her outfit, and _no one_ got away with that!

"Cya Avalon," Amada called as she and her friends continued to cackle as they exited the washroom, "Oh, and a word of advice. You might want to freshen up a bit before coming out."

With that the bathroom door swung shut and the bathroom was silent once more.

Taking a huge breath to calm herself and pulling a face at the stench that entered her nostrils at such an action, Kurumi attempted to open the cubicle door once more.

It still refused to unlock.

'Fantastic. This day just keeps getting better and better!' she thought sarcastically to herself as she got down on her hands and knees and managed to crawl and shimmy her way through the gap between the bottom of the door and the hard floor, 'Not only am I covered in God knows what, I'm now covered in whatever lives on public bathroom floors!'

That was most certainly not a comforting thought.

Standing up, she stalked over to the basins and tried in vain to wash the putrid smell from her skin and hair. It didn't really help as the liquid had been absorbed into her clothes directly.

"Urgh, I can't even change," she mumbled dejectedly as she gave a last ditch effort to neaten up. Sighing and accepting the inevitable, the blond girl spun on her heel and marched confidently towards the door of the girl's bathroom. She wasn't going to let this little setback get to her.

She pulled the entranceway open and stepped out of the washroom only to stop dead in her tracks.

The corridor was crowded with people who were blocking the passage way from left and right. That, however, wasn't what had stopped the golden haired teen from walking any further.

There, reclining leisurely on the wall facing the bathroom door she had just come out of was none other than Hiwatari and Ivanov, smirks plastered arrogantly across both of their visages. A couple other boys stood with them, but Kurumi payed them no heed as she glared passionately at the bluenette and redhead.

Hate vibes could almost be seen radiating from her glower and the people closest to her took a couple of steps back in fear. That and the smell was rather overwhelming.

"I don't know Kai, I'd have to disagree and give a perfect ten," Ivanov said lazily as he stared at an area decidedly below Kurumi's neck, "A pair like those don't come along every day."

There were numerous hoots of agreement and cat calls from a number of the males in the crowd, who Kurumi had only just registered comprised the greater portion of those gathered in the hallway.

Chasing that insignificant thought away, the blond girl took a menacing step forward as she attempted to decipher what Ivanov was on about.

"What the _hell_ are you going on about?" she demanded ferociously.

"You know, wearing white to school is just asking for trouble," Hiwatari replied back, smirk firmly in place as he lowered his gaze much the same way that Ivanov had done.

Forgetting her rage for a second as confusion took over, Kurumi looked down at herself to figure out what everyone was staring at. She could have fainted on the spot.

She had somehow failed to recall in her fury that that morning she had dressed in a pair of dark blue denim above the knee shorts, with cute gold button details on the cuffs, and a white denim top whose straps resembled those found on overalls.

Her top was white...and it was now wet...and smelled disgusting...and was see-through!

Kurumi's face burned a bright red as she discovered that her bra and chest was on display for anyone and everyone to see. And boy were they looking!

Crying out in pure embarrassment she hurriedly tried to cover herself as Hiwatari, Ivanov and many of the boys present leered at her and yelled out suggestive things.

"It is _so_ on," she declared heatedly as she glared daggers at the satisfied two toned haired teen while her face felt like flames. She then began to push her way through the assembled crowd.

"Is it?" Hiwatari's voice floated from behind her, making the blond pause in her agitated rush to get away, "Oh and by the way, I've seen better."

The golden haired girl just barely managed to stop from turning back around and lunching herself on the conceited and haughty bastard. Instead, she continued shoving her way through the throng of congregated students and abstained from responding.

However, that didn't stop her from imagining the many various ways that she could violently kill the infuriating bluenette and get away with.

* * *

"Alright, go!" Mariah whispered to Kurumi as the two girls crept past the distracted lady in the office and snuck into the presently empty Principal's office. They shut the door quietly behind them and focused back on their surroundings.

Operation 'break into the Principal's office and get info on Hiwatari' had commenced.

"Okay we have to hurry because Mr. Kent could be back at any minute," the pink haired teen said while trying to keep her voice down so as not to alert any outside attention, "The permanent records should be in those filing cabinets over there. I'll keep a look out but be fast."

"Roger that, Pink Panther," the blond replied as she made her way over to the cabinets that Mariah had indicated. She pulled open the top draw of one and found that the files were organised alphabetically by surname, and that only the letters 'A-C' were contained within the metal draw.

"Would you please stop calling me that?" Mariah asked as she kept her ear to the door in order to make sure that no one was approaching. The coast was clear for now, "Or do you really want to go down in history as the Golden Goose?"

"You're no fun," the blond responded, sticking her tongue out and flicking through the 'H' section of the draw, "Aha! Bingo, we have a winner!"

She pulled the thick manila folder out and flicked it open just to make sure that she had secured the correct file. Finding that she had, she inquired of Mariah, "Is there a photocopy machine around here?"

"What? I thought you were just going to take it."

"No! We need to cover our tracks, hence the photocopying," the blond explained while walking over to Mr. Kent's desk and indicating to a large printer situated on top of it, "Does this printer look like it photocopies too?"

"Let me see," Mariah replied as she left her post and came over to stand beside Kurumi, "Wow, that smell has seriously gotten worse as the day's gone on," she scrunched up her nose in repugnance at the offending scent.

"Shut up," the blond responded in annoyance. Unable to resist the urge to see if what her friend said was true, Kurumi took a quick whiff of her clothes, "Oh my God! I smell like Shamu's breath after feeding. This is so gross! No wonder every one kept their distance in History."

"Yeah. Luckily I've become habituated already."

"That's so good to hear," Kurumi responded sarcastically as she watched Mariah fiddle with a few of the buttons on the machine, "So, does it work or are we actually going to have to steal the file?"

"Here, give me the folder," the hot pink haired girl ordered as she succeeded in operating the copier section of the appliance.

"Well there goes my whole Danny Ocean fantasy then," the blond answered as she made to hand the file over, hopeful that it would contain some dirt on Hiwatari that she could use to her advantage.

"I don't really think borrowing a permanent record without the intent of returning it is really on par with stealing millions and millions of dollars from a Casino," Mariah stated as she grabbed the manila wallet and accidentally dropped half of the papers in it onto the desk, "Dammit!"

"I guess you're right..." the golden haired adolescent trailed off as she assisted in picking up the assorted documents. Looking down briefly to ensure that they had retrieved all of the fallen items, something on the wooden desk caught Kurumi's eye.

It was the Principal's date book and it was laying open on the table top to that very school week. Reminders and notes had been scribbled into it but it was one particular memo jotted down under that coming Friday that had really fixed her interest.

Her eyes lit up brightly as she realised that she had just found the opportunity she needed to enact her revenge on that impudent bluenette and his one track minded side-kick. She was going to make them suffer for humiliating and degrading her in front of so many of her fellow students.

She slowly lifted her gaze to meet the questioning golden eyes of her companion. A wide and evil smirk made its way onto her lips as she considered all of the possibilities that this occasion presented.

There was only one word to describe such a situation.

Perfect.

* * *

Please remember to review and tell me what you thought!


	6. Sweat the Battle

**Summary:** She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note:** And I now present the sixth chapter for your viewing pleasure. Nothing new to report from me so onto the plea to REVIEW!

As per usual, huge thanks goes out to those that did review last chapter (**musiclover9419**, **XxXTwilight-SinXxX**, **LoveLinkAndRobinHood**, **Annika Preminyer**, **Sinning Angel**, **R. Voltaire**, **TsukiKishuko**, **Maya Yin**, **niki-the-polkadot**, **Drentai Wolf**, and **En-En-chan**) and to those who added this story to their favourite and alert lists!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

* * *

**Chapter Six – Sweat the Battle Before the Battle Sweats You**

"Come in," a distracted Kurumi called out in response to the knocking on her bedroom door as she flipped a page in the magazine she was reading.

A man in his early twenties that the blond girl had never seen before opened the thick mahogany doors and entered the room upon her avowal.

"Excuse me Young Mistress," the clean cut man, who upon closer inspection was dressed in a butler's uniform, said politely to his young charge, who at the current moment was sprawled leisurely on her bed, idly reading the latest issue of Vogue and absently scratching her pet pig behind his ears. "A package has just arrived for you."

Sitting up from her previous position when she heard this, Kurumi inquired of him, "From who?"

"It would seem it is from the props department at Blackwood Studios," he answered, his accent a mix of American with a slight English infliction. He held the rectangular box, wrapped in brown paper, out towards his new mistress and refrained from questioning her curiously about the parcel. After all, he had been taught that it wasn't his place to pry.

After hearing this, the blond's eyes grew wide with excitement and anticipation, and she practically bounced over to the rather confused butler. Was this level of hyperactivity normal for the girl?

"Why thank-you Lurch," Kurumi smiled toothily as she took the package and nearly ran back over to her bed. She couldn't believe that it was already there! After all, she'd only made the call to the props department a couple of hours ago when she got home from school (and after spending an obscene amount of time in the shower washing that absolutely appalling smell from her being) and it was already in her hands!

God, the guys at Blackwood Studios were good!

She conveniently forgot about the fact that she _was_ the boss's daughter and that there was an unofficial rule among employees that if she called for something it became first priority. Instead she chose to believe that the worker's were just experts in their respective fields of employment, who were each dedicated to ensuring that they functioned effectively in order to keep the well oiled machine that was the Avalon Empire running smoothly.

Really, optimism was such a useful tool sometimes.

Sitting down hurriedly, she all but tore the wrappings from the box and carefully lifted the cardboard lid, remembering to cautiously position herself in such a way that the evidently new butler who was still in the room could not see what was inside. She almost squealed with glee at the contents. This was better than what she had hoped for!

In an instant the golden haired girl's energized appearance was soon replaced by the most devilish of expressions, eyes glinting in perverted fascination and the corners of her mouth upturned, both combining to give a truly frightening countenance.

'Prepare to regret messing with me Hiwatari,' she thought with an almost insane cackle reverberating in the confines of her mind. He was _so_ going down!

Lost within her overactive imagination, Kurumi failed to neither hear the sound of knocking on her bedroom door nor notice the other butler enter to stand next to the one already present and looking on in curiosity. She only snapped out of her musings when he spoke.

"Dinner is ready Young Mistress," the elderly man said calmly.

"Huh? Oh, I'll be there in a minute, thanks," the blond replied, the evilly expectant expression still adorning her face.

"This can't be good," the older man, who had a head of perfectly grey hair, said warily with a thick English accent, and a prominent glimmer of humour in his indigo eyes. "The last time I saw that expression Young Mistress, you went missing and turned up a week later, in a holding cell in a police station in Rio de Janeiro, during Carnaval, dressed in the most elaborate and sparkly costume conceivable."

"What?" Kurumi feigned innocence, "London was boring at the time and I'd always wanted to go to Carnaval. And anyway, Dad said I could go if I came top of the class when I graduated."

Amused, the man countered, "I believe he was referring to when you graduated from high school, not elementary school."

Grinning wickedly Kurumi said, "Ah, but he never clarified that little fact did he?"

"No, he thought it was obvious enough."

"For someone so concerned with business and contracts and such, he of all people should have known that _everything_ needs to be expressively elucidated, otherwise it's possible for loopholes to exist," the girl continued, smiling at the memory. Her father, who had been rather angry when he arrived at the police station, had quickly changed his tune to exasperated amusement when his troublesome daughter had reasoned that with him, and had reluctantly been somewhat pleased that she was already taking an interest on her own accord in the family business.

Kurumi still liked to maintain that it was her brilliant persuasive skills that had managed to get her out of any trouble with her parents for that little escapade, but in reality it was the fact that her father really was helpless when she turned her adorably widened eyes to him. He could hardly scold and punish her with that look dammit! She had him thoroughly wrapped around her manicured little finger, a trait she had picked up from her equally troublesome mother.

Coming back to the real world, the teen continued to speak to the older man, "Besides it wasn't like I was in Brazil alone, Grandpa was there too."

"True, your grandfather was technically there at the same time as you. It's just a pity that he wasn't aware that you were also there," he retorted, voice laced with laughter as he stared with a raised eyebrow at the young girl in front of him.

"Details Albert, details," Kurumi responded airily, waving off that specific factor as if it wasn't important. She then drew attention to the other person standing in the room after realising that he was still there, "Anyway, I can't help but notice that you've corrupted this poor soul already. I've had to deem him Lurch it seems."

The younger man looked puzzled for a second as he tried to figure out who Albert was (the other man's name was Cadbury wasn't it?), and even more baffled as the teen finished speaking. Was he doing something wrong? It was only his first week after all...

Before he could get any more anxious, Cadbury broke in with his soft laughter, "I am merely teaching him the proper protocol Young Mistress. I must implore of _you_ not to corrupt him like you have done with so many of the other staff members."

"Honestly Albert, I really do denounce this whole Young Mistress business. My name is Kurumi. You of all people should know that, what with having known me my _entire_ life and all. I would appreciate it if you could finally find the time to learn that, otherwise I shall continue to dub thee Albert Pennyworth," the blond stated heatedly before directing her attention to the other man, "Oh and the same goes for you too...ah...I'm sorry I don't actually know you're name."

"That is quite alright Young Mistress. My name is Humphrey and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he replied back immediately and with a slight bow in greeting.

"Lurch it is," Kurumi said brightly as she jumped off the bed and made her way to the mahogany double doors that lead to the hallway. "Come along Mr. Trotters, we can shop later," she called out to the pink pig as he got down from the bed and the new issue of Vogue and trotted after the blond. Stopping briefly, the golden haired girl turned around and inquired of the two butlers, "Now Albert, you were saying something about dinner?"

* * *

"I hate Gym."

"Me too."

Kurumi and Mariah looked at one another flatly as the other girls in the changing room chatted animatedly amongst themselves while getting into the sports uniform that was a requirement of Belmont High. Looking down at the white polo shirt that was clutched in her hands, the blond sighed disconsolately and tugged it over her head.

"I held such high hopes for today as well," the shorter girl sighed while adjusting the top to sit properly.

"I know. I woke up this morning and saw that the sun was shining, the birds were singing and that the paperboy had actually managed to chuck the paper onto the front doorstep instead of the roof, and I thought to myself 'today feels like a good day', you know?" the pink haired teen asked while pulling on the short black shorts that comprised the bottom half of the Gym uniform. "But apparently, the day was just mocking me."

Kurumi snorted at the crestfallen look on her friend's face as she tied the shoelaces of her black Chucks up. Once finished she stood up and threw her blond locks into a loose ponytail, clipping her bangs up as well in order to at least give the appearance that she would participate in today's class.

"C'mon, let's go," Mariah said in a tone that really conveyed her objections to the suggestion, as she finished tying her hair up, "The sooner we start, the sooner it'll finish."

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'Everything takes longer than you think' before?" Kurumi quizzed with a raised eyebrow. Mariah was being far too positive for her liking.

"...Shut up."

Walking into the Gym, Kurumi and Mariah made their way over to the stands and sat down, surprised to see that they were some of the first people there. They had been going as slow as they could in an effort to delay the inevitable after all. Sitting down, they began to play the waiting game as the rest of the class slowly trickled in.

A few minutes later, and with only a third of the students present, the teacher lost his patience and stormed off to the changing rooms to bellow at the rest of the teenagers to hurry up. Mere seconds later, a large group of people exited the boys and girls changing rooms and began to walk over to where their fellow classmates were seated.

Watching them do this, Kurumi observed that both Julia and Ana (her science partner) were in amongst the cluster of girls and that Ray and the unnerving boy named Bryan were in the group of guys.

Julia looked like her usual cool, calm and collected self as she strolled over to the benches and sat down next to a newly arrived Ray and Bryan. She started talking to them and they seemed to be on friendly terms with one another as they conversed back, well at least Ray did. Bryan wasn't paying much attention and was scanning the now assembled crowd of students with his penetrating lavender gaze as if he was looking for something.

Or someone.

Upon reaching Kurumi, he stopped in his analysis of the mass of bodies and stared in a way that was very reminiscent of Home Economics.

Smiling uneasily and waving slightly in greeting, just barely managing to suppress the prevalent urge to shiver, the blond girl turned her focus back to the teen sitting next to her, who was looking at her in inquisition. Bryan made no response to the acknowledgment, just kept staring.

"Okay, now how do you know Bryan Kyznetsov?" the pink haired adolescent asked in confusion as she glanced down at the male who was situated a few rows in front of them.

"Oh, he sits on my table in Home Ec.," Kurumi replied with a shrug, "He gave me a cupcake too."

"What?!" the taller girl practically screeched, "You didn't eat it did you?"

"Ah...yeah. Why?" the blond inquired looking thoroughly puzzled at the outburst.

"Well gee, I don't know," Mariah began rather sarcastically, "He's only one of Hiwatari's closest friends and a member of the 'Teen Royalty'. But other than that, I have absolutely no idea."

"Are you serious?" Kurumi queried in shock, quickly glancing in the direction of the still watching purple haired teen. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Like a heart attack," the pink haired girl responded while looking intently at her companion. She found it kind of weird how Bryan was staring at Kurumi right now. After all, he had a reputation for being quite anti-social, disconnected, aggressive, and even violent at times. Rumours also abounded around the halls of Belmont High that he used drugs and was very much like Ivanov and Hiwatari when it came to his views regarding the female species. Taking this into consideration, Mariah couldn't quite place his intentions towards her friend. Bryan was notorious for being the aforementioned things, and with that in mind, she would have thought that his objectives would have been purely cruel in design as she had challenged one of his own. However, by what she was witnessing just now, and from what Kurumi had said about Home Economics, she deduced that that was not the case. He wasn't staring in hate or malicious intent, just a blank kind of look that verged dangerously close to stalkerish.

There was only one word to describe it.

Weird.

While Mariah was contemplating all of this, Kurumi had just made a rather startling and depressing realization. If Bryan was Hiwatari's friend and a part of the A Crowd, then that probably meant...

"Hey Mari, does that mean that Ray's also a member of Hiwatari's clique?" she questioned, apprehensive to hear the answer.

"Yep," was the blunt reply.

"Damn! And he was so nice too," Kurumi stated sullenly as she looked regretfully over to the raven haired boy.

"So does nice translate to unbelievably hot and definitely dateable material?" Mariah asked in a humoured voice.

There was a pause and then –

"Yeah..."

The hot pink haired teen couldn't help but laugh at the hopeless expression painted across the blonds face as she proceeded to mentally strike Ray off the list of guys she could maybe like. As far as she was concerned, he was now off limits. After all, it was never advisable to mix business with pleasure.

"Don't worry about it," the taller girl tried to soothe her saddened friend, "From what I know, he's a genuinely good guy who just _happens_ to be friends with your enemy. It's not an entirely impossible situation to navigate you know."

The golden haired teen cheered up a bit at this and said with a small smile, "I suppose so."

At that moment the teacher called for everyone's attention as he began to explain what they were going to do today. Before he could get very far, however, he was interrupted by the door to the boys changing room opening with a loud 'BANG' and four boys sauntering nonchalantly, and at their own leisure, into the Gym.

Groaning audibly at who two of the four teens were, Kurumi glared with all her might in their direction, focusing in particular on the haughty bluenette and only marginally less on the redhead beside him.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Hiwatari slowly looked in the blond's direction and smirked arrogantly. Pulling a face in retaliation and making him smirk wider, Kurumi turned to gaze at Mariah, who had been watching the proceedings. The pink haired girl quickly gave the blond a sympathetic look and a reassuring pat on the back as she immediately sensed and understood Kurumi's eye roll.

Gym had just gotten a whole lot worse.

* * *

"So have you always been like this?" Kurumi asked the girl beside her, indicating to her crazily coloured hair, as the two teens stood at the back of the group of students, procrastinating and trying not to participate.

"Put it this way," Ana responded to the blonds' question, "When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, I kind of wanted to be a vampire."

The golden haired adolescent laughed at that admission as Ana looked disdainfully around her at the rest of class. Apparently, she wasn't very fond of Gym either and the current actions that they were being forced into performing.

The teacher had decided that today he would split the large collection of students into two groups and they would practice throwing and shooting goals with a basketball, before starting a game later on in the double period.

Unfortunately, with Kurumi's luck, she and Mariah had been split up and delegated to the opposing groups. But on the bright side, she had ended up with Ana, which _was _something to be happy about as she had also ended up with Hiwatari and Ivanov.

God, help her.

"Avalon, you're up!" the teacher yelled as he stood impatiently up at the front of the disorderly line, waiting for the blond who wasn't paying attention to realise what he'd just said. A minute passed by and she made no move of acknowledgement, before he sighed and hollered loudly, "AVALON!"

"Huh?" Kurumi dazedly said as she wandered up to him, wondering somewhat what she'd done exactly to receive such an angry reception.

"I said, you're up!" the light blue haired man exhaled sharply as he pointed to the basket ball lying on the ground.

"Oh," the blond replied disinterestedly as she bent to pick up the ball and stand on the line she was supposed to, earning an eye roll and a muttered "Oh, for the love of..." from Mr. Alvin, the Gym instructor, in reference to her evident 'enthusiasm' for the class.

Planting her feet randomly on the white line, Kurumi didn't hesitate in chucking the ball into the air at any angle, rotating on the spot, and beginning to walk back towards the end of the queue before the ball had even touched the ground. The class began to snicker as they watched the ball soar through the air and land not even close to its supposed target (the hoop) and at Kurumi's obvious lack of caring. The blond was halfway down the line when a strangled yell made her stop.

"Avalon! Get back here!"

Rolling her eyes upwards and shooting a look at Ana, who was thoroughly enjoying the display, she marched back to the front and came to a halt in front of Mr. Alvin.

"Yes sir?" she requested politely and with an expression that made her seem completely naïve to what she had done wrong.

Rubbing his temples in an effort to stay calm, the teacher evenly tried to explain, "That wasn't the right way to throw the ball Avalon. Weren't you watching when I demonstrated earlier?"

Kurumi just widened her unique eyes and blinked innocently, earning a sigh from the teacher and a snicker from Ana who had made her way closer to the front in order to get a better view of the scene. Of course she hadn't been watching him, she had been too busy talking with the multi coloured haired teen, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

"Alright then," Mr. Alvin replied defeated, unable to scold the blond with that particular expression on her face, "Hiwatari!"

The bluenette, who had been standing somewhere behind the blond, and scoffing derogatorily at her, stepped forward and inquired pretentiously, "Yes?"

"Would you please show Avalon how to _properly_ throw the ball?" the teacher asked of one of his prized students.

"Of course," the tall boy answered courteously, while throwing a gloating look at Kurumi as he lined up correctly and got into position. With absolutely no effort, he threw the ball and watched pompously as it soared gracefully through the warm air and landed with perfect ease through the red metal hoop, barely making the net hanging from it move.

Turning back to face Kurumi, he smirked at her disgusted look and cringing form as the rest of their group began to clap at their King's athletic skills. Even Mr. Alvin was looking on impressed and said in a thoroughly delighted tone, "Excellent, Hiwatari. Simply excellent."

"Yes, congratulations," Kurumi said in a falsely awed voice, which quickly changed to a wholly sarcastic one, "Should I give you the Olympic gold medal now or later?"

"Hn. Don't flatter yourself Avalon," the duo haired teen countered instantly, "Like you could ever even get your hands on a gold medal."

"I could too," Kurumi ground out, putting her hands on her hips and glaring up at the arrogant and infuriating boy, before muttering to herself, "If shopping was an Olympic sport that is."

Chuckling deprecatingly at her, Hiwatari moved to one side as Mr. Alvin handed Kurumi the basket ball once more. Determinedly walking up to the line once more, the golden haired girl proceeded to actually try and position herself properly instead of just wherever her feet happened to land. She would prove that moron wrong if it was the last thing she did!

Setting up the throw, she was just about to release the ball from her grasp when she heard the cocky male again, "Careful now. Wouldn't want to break a nail or strain yourself too much. After all, thinking already puts an unnatural pressure on you now doesn't it Goldilocks?"

Forgetting completely about what she was doing, Kurumi chucked the ball as hard as she could, totally missing her mark and only narrowly missing where Mr. Alvin's head would have been if he hadn't of ducked at the last second, and whirled around to face the ruler of Belmont High.

Glowering with an intensity usually foreign to the young blond, she continued to stare heatedly up at the taller male but didn't say anything to counter or refute his claims.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Ivanov interjected (Kurumi had temporarily erased him from her awareness) tauntingly as he waltzed up and stood next to his friend, "Or have you just realised that it's the truth?"

"Sorry," the shorter girl started in pure apology, a tone that made both Hiwatari and Ivanov look at each other with raised brows, "But I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent."

Smiling victoriously at the now scowling pair, Kurumi went to turn away and stride back to Ana, but the voice of their Gym teacher halted the teen in her tracks.

"Stop. Right. There," he said in a dangerous voice, "You aren't going anywhere until you throw at a standard that I find acceptable! Now go and get the ball!"

Wincing at that proclamation and sneering at the bluenette and redhead twosome who were smirking triumphantly at her, Kurumi progressed to slowly walk towards the ball and pick it up once more. Making her way back to the front of the line, she was setting up her throw when Mr. Alvin's voice cut her off.

"Hiwatari, would you be so kind as to help her before someone loses their head or any other vital attachment?"

Almost gagging at the suggestion, Kurumi stared gobsmacked at the light blue haired teacher who was massaging the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"Really sir, that isn't altogether necessary," she started sweetly, refusing to even contemplate accepting help from Hiwatari of all people. However, before she could protest further, he held up a hand to silence her and made a shooing motion with his hand.

Rather insulted by that, Kurumi grudgingly stalked over to the grinning, self-satisfied Kai Hiwatari and warned him immediately, "Touch me, and I'll scream assault."

"Who would have thought that you were a screamer?" he responded evocatively while strutting over to her and standing slightly behind the blond as she stood on the white line.

"Ew. You are such a pervert," she hissed at him as he continued to smirk suggestively at her.

"Prude."

"Narcissist."

"Bimbo."

"Man whore!"

"Dumb blond!"

"Enough!" Mr. Alvin yelled in an effort to stop the bickering teens, who had progressively gotten louder, "Get on with it already!"

Glaring at each other once more for good measure, Kurumi turned back around to face the hoop and waited unwillingly for Hiwatari to instruct her.

"Take a run up and jump before throwing," the bluenette breathed down the blonds neck, making her extremely uncomfortable with the closeness and making her face contort as she could practically feel the smirk spreading across the Russians pale face as he sensed her discomfit. He was getting far too much entertainment out of this!

Refusing to budge until the teacher shouted at her to do so, Kurumi reluctantly took several steps back and started to run.

However, as she came level with Hiwatari, he extended his leg in front of her and caused the moving girl to fall to the polished wooden floor with a loud 'THUD' and a gasp.

Pain shot directly through Kurumi's right ankle as she landed roughly on it. She couldn't voluntarily quell the sharp intake of breath that managed to escape her lips as she felt the throbbing ache escalate and nor could she ignore the laughing adolescent looming above her.

"Still think I'm unarmed?" he mocked her as he went to walk over and high five Ivanov who was laughing hysterically at the display. Narrowing her eyes perilously at the back of his blue head, the shorter teen staggered somewhat as she got up. Standing shakily and trying in vain to refrain from wincing at the pain shooting through her hurt ankle, Kurumi ignored the teacher's instructions to stay down.

'Two can play at that game you egotistical jerk,' she thought angrily as she spotted the fallen basket ball lying innocuously by her feet.

"Yeah Hiwatari, I really do," the blond girl called out, causing the amused teen to rotate away from his praising and applauding friends, and fully face his enemy.

Big mistake.

The golden haired girl pulled her injured foot back and with all her might kicked the basket ball with all her pent up rage, collapsing instantly as the pain in her ankle intensified. However, the ball was already in the air and was flying at an alarmingly fast and powerful rate.

It was rather unfortunate for Hiwatari that Kurumi's aim was so bad and that she missed her original target of his smirking face.

On the other hand, the results turned out much better than expected for the in agony blond, who watched with a large smile as her nemesis immediately went down with a grunt of pain and the sympathises of all the surrounding males.

Yes, it was _definitely_ rather unfortunate for Hiwatari, who instead of receiving a flying object to the face, rather received it to the...

* * *

Kurumi couldn't help but shake with suppressed laughter as she sat on one of the two beds in the nurses' office and held an icepack to her injured ankle, which still pulsated with pain.

Fifteen minutes later and it was still funny!

She could hear the nurse attending to the other occupant of the small room, who was located on the opposing bed and glaring so forcefully at the blond that she was afraid she might end up burnt from the heat radiating from it.

Hence, why she currently had her head turned toward one of the stark white walls.

Well, that and the fact that she'd be unable to stop laughing once she looked at the boy again. She just couldn't quite get the image of the expression on his face once the basket ball had hit him out of her head.

It had been simply priceless.

"So, keep the ice pack on and I'll be back in ten minutes to check on the both of you," the nurse told the scowling bluenette and Kurumi as she walked to the door and opened it. Before exiting the compact office she warned the two teens in a stern voice, "And absolutely no fighting."

With that she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, an unnatural silence engulfing the sick bay as soon as her footsteps faded from human hearing.

A couple of minutes passed without a single word being uttered, before the golden haired girl decided to chance a look at her enemy, fully away of the repercussions such an action could induce in her.

Slowly turning her head towards the constant source of her irritation, Kurumi was unprepared for the sight that met her eyes.

There leaning against the wall, with crimson eyes that were mere slits and glued directly to her, legs spread and holding an icepack to what was undoubtedly a most _prized_ appendage, was Hiwatari.

The blond was unable to contain herself any longer and snorted loudly, making the male teen glower even more, which pushed her further over the edge until she dissolved completely into a fit of giggles. She could feel the tears in her eyes and was having trouble breathing as the laughter continued to come.

Growling at Kurumi in vexation and some degree of embarrassment, Hiwatari angrily said, "Think this is funny do you?"

"No, of course not," the shorter girl managed to choke out between her non-ceasing mirth, "It's absolutely hilarious!"

Glare deepening substantially at the fact that she was laughing at him, the bluenette threatened in a low and dangerous voice, "You're going to suffer for doing this and I'm not going to hold back this time."

Kurumi's sniggers began to subside as she stared back at the livid teen before her, "Is that so?" she mocked as she adjusted her position on the bed so that her hurt ankle was resting on her unharmed leg, "You should know that payback's a bitch Hiwatari," she smirked at the fuming adolescent.

He sneered at her icily as he altered the positioning of the icepack on his crotch, "I can't wait for the day when you realise that in this place, I'm God."

"I would worship you," the blond countered snidely, "but I already worship the ground that awaits you."

The slate haired teen snarled at the irksome girl and clenched his long fingers into a tight fist, his rage getting the better of him, "Listen here you little whore, you think that you can make a fool out of me?" Kurumi nodded, only serving to increase his wrath tenfold, "You've got another thing coming if you think that I'll let you get away with it. _No one_ escapes from me and rest assured, I _will_ make you pay."

"Sorry to disappoint you," the blond teen stated with a smirk, "But my karma just ran over your dogma." She sat back satisfied until she heard the baritone voice of her adversary over the stillness of the nurse's office once more

"I pity the poor people who have to put up with you on a regular basis," Hiwatari spat at her, aggravation clearly discernible upon his countenance, "Especially your parents. Did they try to put you up for adoption when they found out what kind of kid they'd had?"

Bristling somewhat under the accusation, the blond held her composure as she collectedly responded, "Of course not. After all, they were the ones who taught me 'why be difficult when with a bit of effort you can be impossible'."

Flinching slightly as he got up off the bed, Hiwatari approached Kurumi, who was still seated on the hard bed, with as much menace as he could muster in his present condition. He stopped just short of the blond and towered over her, leaning down so that his face hovered a few inches above her own.

The golden haired girl gulped a little at the closeness and her cheeks tinged pink as he leaned in closer, knowing perfectly well that he was getting to her and smirking at the actuality of it.

Consciously pulling back from his approaching being, Kurumi mustered up all her ferocity and glared passionately at the annoying bluenette. The hatred was practically tangible as she looked directly into his eyes and narrowed her own orbs the closer that he got to her.

Just as Hiwatari went to respond, a meagre two inches away, the door to the small office swung open and the nurse re-entered, stopping short at the scene in front of her.

"And what exactly is going on here?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow and a decidedly neutral look plastered on her features. Honestly, kids these days couldn't control their hormones if their lives depended on it!

She had obviously misinterpreted the situation.

"Nothing," Hiwatari drawled as he gradually stood up into an upright position, "Just resolving our differences," he added making it seem like they had been doing something they shouldn't have been.

"Uh-huh," the woman stated that conveyed her belief in her earlier thoughts, "Well, it looks as if you're fine Mr. Hiwatari. You can get back to class now."

With a last cocky look toward Kurumi, the tall boy strolled casually out of the door of the sick bay, feeling considerably better about himself after having disconcerted his nemesis.

"There was really nothing going on," the blond teenager felt the need to reassure the nurse who smiled knowingly at her and didn't bother replying. Flushing at what the older woman must have been thinking, and only barely managing to not retch at that horrifying notion, Kurumi didn't say anymore as she sat there while the nurse fussed over her ankle and cursed Hiwatari to the deepest reaches of Hell.

"It looks like you'll be here for the rest of the day Miss. Avalon, so I'd make yourself comfortable if I were you," the nurse informed the golden haired girl, who then groaned at the statement.

This day was getting to be just as good as yesterday had been!

The woman straightened back up and made to leave the office once again, before pausing on the threshold and saying lightly, "Oh, and I'll make sure to knock next time shall I? Wouldn't want to walk in on you in any awkward circumstances now would I?"

Kurumi stared gobsmacked at the closing blue door and almost screamed in frustration.

Hiwatari was going to pay for making her seem like a slut in front of the school nurse!

Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of that announcement, the blond girl smirked at the thought that instantly passed through her pretty little head.

Oh, she was most definitely looking forward to Friday.

But she _really_ couldn't say the same for Kai Hiwatari.

* * *

Please remember to review! C'mon let's get the review tally up to 50!


	7. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

**Summary:** She's a blond, witty, pig owning, high heel enthusiast destined to be at the top of the high school social ladder. So…what's she doing at the bottom again?

**Author's Note: **Hey, hey, hey! I know it has been AGES since I last updated but Uni has been monopolizing ALL of my time. On the plus side, I shall be done with it in 3 weeks and then I have 4 months off to write to my heart's content! Isn't that exciting? Anyway, here is the seventh Chapter for you all so if you could review after reading it would be greatly appreciated!

Huge thanks goes out to those who did review last chapter (**sana**, **XxXTwilight-SinXxX**, **Sinning Angel**, **Regin**, **Demon of Selene**, **Megandary**, **En-En-chan**, **musiclover9419**, **CynicallyCheerful**, **Drentai Wolf**, **Azielo**, **Annika Preminyer**, **kai's wolf girl**, **LoveLinkAndRobinHood**, and **Maya Yin**) and to all those who added this story to their favourite and alert lists!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade or anything else that you might recognize (that includes some of the dialogue too which may have been obtained from a variety of sources. Not all of it though, only that which you can identify!).

* * *

**Chapter Seven – Mirror, Mirror on the Wall**

The sky was just turning golden around the edges of the horizon when a soft glow could uncharacteristically be seen emanating from a series of large crystalline windows on one of the upper floors of the Avalon mansion.

This filtering of light was mostly obscured by the thick drapery that adorned the mammoth windows and only thin bands managed to escape through the otherwise impenetrable blockade of material.

Inside the bedroom, sitting upright in the bed and grinning, in a manner that could only be described as wickedly, was a girl around the age of 15.

Her blond hair was reminiscent of a birds nest and traces of sleep could still be seen lingering around her pretty eyes which, combined, were obvious signs that she had only just woken up. Other than that, she was completely alert and conscious, a feat which was practically unheard of before. Waking up at such an ungodly hour as 6 o'clock in the morning was most definitely _not_ one of the girl's strong suits, and all those who knew her could vehemently attest to that little fact.

Which was why it was so strange to see the heiress to Avalon Enterprises wide awake at such a time and with such a foreboding expression on her face.

On second thought that particular look – of scheming evilness – was one that was becoming more and more a permanent fixture in her gamut of frequently used visages.

That didn't exactly divine well for whoever inspired it.

Kurumi threw back the soft white doona and bed sheets and energetically jumped out of the bed. It was finally a decent enough hour to get up and put the finishing touches to her plans!

She had been drifting in and out of a light slumber all night, anticipation and excitement stilting her ability to be consumed and engulfed by the dream world.

After all, today _was_ Friday.

And as such, her opportunity to settle the score with Hiwatari and his merry band of moronic followers had arrived.

The way she saw it, the tally board currently stood at 1:0 in Hiwatari's favour.

She hadn't bothered to include the events that had transpired in Gym on Wednesday as she figured they cancelled one another out. Nor had she included the verbal sparring matches that had occurred in Math and English the day before.

Unfortunately Kurumi had made the gruesome discovery on Thursday that she had to endure both classes with the idiot, a finding which would have been made on Wednesday afternoon had she been in a fit enough condition to attend.

That was another reason to hate the arrogant bluenette.

She had had to forego her precious high heels in support of flats yesterday because her ankle was still sore from the Gym incident and the heels just aggravated it further.

Oh, he was _so_ going to pay.

After all, Kurumi without heels was like Jocelyn Wildenstein...scary and unnatural.

Shuddering at the reminder of it, the vengeance seeking blond returned to the items that she had retrieved from under her bed and lain out delicately in front of her cross-legged position atop the Egyptian cotton covers.

She smirked to herself as she stared at the collection of objects and silently thanked (which she knew she would later curse with every fibre of her being) whatever deity it was that had decided to put her in the same Math class as one Kai Hiwatari. At least this way she would have a firsthand account as to his reaction to her ingenuity.

Oh yeah, this was going to be good.

She also sent her regards to the divine being who had decided to bless her with the absolutely perfect opening she had been given in the Principals' office.

Really, weren't random locker searches just the best?

* * *

"Hey, do you have any lip-gloss? I forgot mine at home," Kurumi frowned as she dug through the enormous black and white striped Balenciaga motorcycle bag, desperately looking for the cosmetic in question. Normally she would never have forgotten such an important commodity, but she was rather absent minded this morning, her mind preoccupied with the upcoming events.

Gazing smugly at the contents of her designer handbag (and the reason why she had required such a huge purse that day), the teen tore her eyes away, closed the zip, and turned towards her mother expectantly.

"Sure," Akiko replied while fumbling with one hand in her one-of-a-kind Fendi bag and keeping the other hand on the steering wheel of the car, slowing to a stop as the traffic light turned red. Able to take her eyes off the road, the redhead pulled out a make-up carrier from within the depths of the expensive handbag and opened it up, "I have vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and toasted marshmallow."

"Anything in there not resembling a breakfast cereal?"

Reaching her manicured hand once again into her purse, the elder Avalon pulled out another tube of clear gloss.

"It has no smell but it changes colours with your mood."

"God, RuPaul doesn't need this much makeup," Kurumi remarked as she took the proffered lip-gloss and proceeded to use it.

"Hey! You know I always like to be prepared for any situation," Akiko remarked as she put her foot on the gas and took off from the now green traffic light.

"Is that why you always carry around a set of divorce papers?" Kurumi asked as she looked at her mother with a wry grin.

"Of course! I mean if I ever got the chance with Brad Pitt, how awkward would it be to know that I was still married?" the redhead explained as she zoomed along, "Preparation is key."

"Uh-huh, and does Dad know about that little fact?"

"Yep, it's an official article in our relationship. It's known as the Brad Pitt clause," the older woman informed the younger with a wink as she slowed to a stop in front of Belmont High.

"How nice," Kurumi said sarcastically as she went to get out of the black Porsche GT2 she was presently sitting in. With her hand on the door handle, she was stopped in her tracks when her mother spoke.

"So, going to tell me what's in the bag?"

Looking back at her mother, the blond girl saw that she was being scrutinized through cyan blue eyes as the elder Avalon carefully examined her.

There was a momentary pause before Kurumi chirped out a cheery "Nope!" and finally opened the door.

"Okay, fine. Have your secrets then," Akiko sulked before continuing, "But I need to know one thing."

Kurumi raised her eyebrow in prompting.

"Should I be expecting a call from the Principal?"

"No, of course not," the blond teen told her mother reassuringly and automatically, "I'm not stupid enough to actually get caught."

"This is true," the redhead said thoughtfully while nodding her head up and down in agreement, "I have taught you well."

"See? Absolutely nothing to worry about then," the younger girl replied while appealing to her mother's ego. Really, Akiko could be so vain sometimes.

There was a pregnant pause as both females stared at one another for a moment as they considered the worth of the statement.

"But on the off chance that something doesn't go exactly to plan and I am apprehended," Kurumi broke the silence hastily, "Just know that it was for a good cause."

"Oh? And that would be...?"

"My honour and pride as an independent individual," the adolescent stated passionately.

"Ooh, that is important," the fire engine red haired woman agreed emphatically with her offspring, "Alright then, so just remember this one cardinal rule if, unfortunately, the aforementioned scenario turns into reality."

"Yes, Obi One Kenobi?"

"The proper way to report to the Principal is 'You wanted to see me, Sir?' and not, 'I have it on good authority that you have no evidence!'," Akiko instructed her daughter cheekily.

"Thank-you for that. I couldn't possibly have figured that out for myself," Kurumi responded mordantly while rolling her eyes as she finally got out of the car and shut the door. She was just turning to walk away from the stationary vehicle when she heard the unmistakably sound of the window rolling down.

"Oh, and Kurumi," the older Avalon called in a sing song voice from within the depths of the car, making the blond stop in her tracks, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

At that, the golden haired teen whirled around on the spot and said to her mother in complete and utter disbelief, "You know that is the absolute _worst_ advice you could possibly give me right?"

Akiko childishly poked her tongue out before stepping on the gas and driving away from the high school and consequently her dumbstruck daughter, who was still standing in the same spot and gawking at the place where the car had previously been.

* * *

"Hey, Mari!" Kurumi called out as she ran as fast as she could in her strappy silver Manolo's to catch up with her friend, her bag hampering her even more as it weighed on one shoulder.

The addressed girl turned around at the sound of her name and waited for the blond to reach her.

"Must you be so chipper this early in the morning?" Mariah complained as she surveyed the bright and happy expression adorning the other teen's face. Really, it should be a crime to be so awake at such a dismal hour!

"Well, it's a fine morning this morning after all," Kurumi countered as a lively smile made its way onto her lips.

"I find the whole idea of a 'good morning' a contradiction of terms," the pink haired girl mumbled as they made their way through the double front doors and into the interior of Belmont High. There, they proceeded to fight their way through the ever increasing hoards of congregating students and to navigate the way to their lockers, Kurumi chattering the whole way there.

It was safe to say that she was thoroughly energized today and there was really only one reason for it.

"So, did you eat a bag full of sugar coated candy or are you just excited about today?" Mariah asked as Kurumi stopped her fast paced talking about nothing in particular in order to draw a breath of air so she didn't die of lack of oxygen.

Something was definitely clear.

Kurumi sure could prattle on about zilch when she felt like it. That is, if the fact that it had been, like, a minute and a half since her last breath was any indication.

"No, to the former and yes to the latter!" the shorter girl replied enthusiastically as she took her seat in homeroom, "And you?"

"I guess it is kind of fun," Mariah conceded as she watched the grin on her friend's face grow wider with mischief. As such she couldn't help but add dryly, "Smile Kurumi, it makes people wonder what you're up too."

"Tsk, tsk, Mari. You really aren't a morning person are you?" the blond girl inquired as she tried to dim her brilliant smile a notch, but gave up rather quickly as she deemed it an impossible task.

"No and neither are you," the hot pink haired adolescent said before muttering, "Which I'm sure will be re-instated soon enough."

"Whatever," Kurumi passed over airily as she changed the subject, "I really can't wait for Math. I wish that you were there with me," she pouted without mentioning the reason behind her anticipation for the horridly confusing class.

"Me too," the taller teen pouted as well as she imagined what was to transpire during the time, "Oh, well. I suppose I'll just have to rely on you for a frame by frame recount right?"

"I would be more than happy to oblige my dearest Mariah," the blond answered chivalrously as they hushed their speech as the teacher entered to commence roll call, "Anyway, I totally owe you for getting me Hiwatari and Ivanov's locker information."

"No problem," Mariah responded with a smile as both girls thought back to the events of yesterday.

The road to securing such vital and imperative knowledge hadn't been as hard as one might have thought in obtaining. After Mariah and Kurumi had made the not-so-hard decision that the pony-tailed teen would be the one to do it, all she had had to do was walk up to some Hiwatari and Ivanov supporters, gush about them a little, and the infatuated girls had been more than willing to share the two boy's locker combinations and locations.

Apparently such information wasn't that hard to come by.

And would be invariably invaluable for what was to come later that day.

Kurumi just barely refrained from sighing in happiness.

Today was going to be great!

* * *

The bell for third period had just sounded as Kurumi stood between two sets of lockers, concealed from the prying eyes of the last few straggling students who were hurrying hastily to get to class before they were any later.

A few moments later, after the golden haired girl had determined that she was quite alone in the hallway, she stepped out from her hiding place with the aim of being as quiet as possible, less she alert someone to her not-so-good intentions.

She could practically hear the sound of her own background music as she took the piece of paper that Mariah had dutifully written Hiwatari and Ivanov's locker co-ordinates and combinations on and unfolded it.

Walking slowly along until she came to Lucifers metal locker, and keeping an ear open for the sound of approaching footsteps, Kurumi set to work opening the lock that guarded the contents and entrance into the locker. A few seconds later, she succeeded in releasing the catch on the silver lock and managed to infiltrate the cabinet.

Pulling the dull grey door open, the blond teen set to work with her task and performed it as quickly as possible.

A couple of minutes later, she moved along a few lockers until she reached her arch nemeses. Here, she repeated the action of unlocking and opening the door but paused slightly, as if considering, before doing anything to it.

Shrugging her shoulders in an 'oh well' manner, Kurumi unzipped her designer bag, which she had retrieved from her own locker before embarking upon her little incriminating quest, and pulled out the object she had safely hidden in there.

After all, her entire plan would backfire if she was to be found in the possession of such an item.

Placing it inside the conceited bluenette's locker and arranging it for full effect, Kurumi couldn't help but smirk broadly as she thought about how the jerk would react in half an hour's time.

It was going to be priceless.

* * *

"I'm so sorry I'm late Miss. I'm still getting used to this school and it's so big that I got lost," Kurumi said as she walked into her Math class ten minutes later and addressed the teacher. In an effort to cover the fabrication and act convincingly, she coupled her apologetic tone with an expression that she hoped was both demure and embarrassed.

And the teacher, Miss. Burghers, ate it up like honey to a bee...or maybe a bear.

Out of the corner of her eye Kurumi could see Hiwatari roll his garnet orbs and sneer in her direction, before turning and whispering something to Ivanov which made the redhead smirk and also stare at her. The blond decided that she'd rather not know what that little exchange was all about as it would undoubtedly cause her to want to murder something, preferably Tweedledee or Tweedledum.

Plus, she was rather partial to her freedom.

Removing her attention from the two cretins in the corner, Kurumi altered her gaze to that of Miss. Burghers and smiled benignly as she was instructed to take a seat.

Unfortunately, the only ones free were situated in the front row and the blond girl had to reassure herself that such a small sacrifice would ultimately be worth it when the time came.

Which would be in about, oh, twenty minutes.

With that in mind, the golden haired teen sat down gracefully in the chair and took out her Math books in order to feign interest in the tedious class.

The teacher had just turned back to write on the board and Kurumi had only just began copying the notes that were already displayed on it when she felt the distinct sensation of something hitting the back of her head.

Looking around she saw a scrunched up piece of paper bouncing off her desk and onto the floor next to the leg of the small table.

Frowning slightly at it, she knocked her pen off the table top with her elbow and used that as an excuse to bend down and retrieve the ball of lined paper.

Using the cover of her Math book (and really, what else was it good for?) she unravelled the paper and found that it contained a note.

_You wound me Avalon. A rendezvous in the janitor's closet and you didn't even invite me? And here I was thinking that you were some prissy little virgin, but I guess looks can be deceiving. _

_So, who was the unlucky guy? And don't even try to deny it Little Miss JBF, the sex hair gives it away. How much did he have to pay for a round of knocking boots or were you just that desperate that you gave it away free?_

Kurumi barely managed to avid swinging around violently in her seat and chucking her Math book right at the now laughing bastard who had thrown the note at her.

There was absolutely no doubt in her mind who had sent it.

But she abstained from doing anything at the present moment and acted as if nothing was out of the norm. She pretended that she wasn't burning with the desire to castrate the parasite known as Tala Ivanov and tried valiantly to concentrate back onto what the teacher was talking about.

Four seconds later and she knew _that_ was a lost cause. Seriously, who really cared about injections, surjections, and bijections anyway?

'And what the hell is Little Miss JBF?' Kurumi couldn't help but fume silently as her mind traitorously went back to thinking about the stupid note and tried to decipher what that precise phrase meant. A few seconds later it hit her lightening to a flagpole.

Completely forgetting that she was in the middle of her Math class, the blond teen stood up, pushing her chair back with a loud screeching noise, in absolute outrage and proclaimed loudly, "I am _so_ not Little Miss Just Been Fuc-"

"Miss. Avalon?! Is there a problem?" Miss. Burghers asked, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring at the interruption. At that precise instant she more resembled the metaphoric bear than the bees.

"Huh?" Kurumi said as she realised what she was doing. Coming back to reality, she sheepishly sat back down in her seat as she felt her cheeks redden and heard the unmistakable sound of snickering from the back corner. She addressed Miss. Burghers with a tight "Sorry Miss" before focusing her gaze onto the open textbook in front of her, and wishing fervently that the ground would open up and swallow the infuriating males in the back of the classroom.

Hey, better them than her.

With one last glare at the bowed head of the blond adolescent, the teacher resumed her recited lesson plan and turned away to once again face the board.

From this fiasco, Kurumi had the niggling feeling that she would not be getting the student of the year award from this particular teacher anytime in the near century.

Oh well, ten minutes and it'd all be worth it.

Just then, another ball of scrunched up paper came soaring through the air and landed perfectly in the middle of the Math book the golden haired girl was looking at. Tempted to ignore it, Kurumi quickly succumbed to her curiosity and unfurled the crumpled note.

There, in the same handwriting as before was a simple sentence that was enough to make the teen want to punch a certain redhead right in the face, preferably with the intent of breaking something.

_The lady doth protest too much, methinks._

Instead, she settled for revolving around in her seat and glaring passionately at the laughing boys located behind her in the back row. Ivanov even had the audacity to blow her a kiss, which would have made the blond burst a vein in her forehead had the words of a certain pink haired friend not come floating through her mind at the moment.

"_Smile Kurumi, it makes people wonder what you're up too."_

Calming herself down, Kurumi let a smile the size of Russia grace her features and happily observed as the smug expressions on Ivanov and Hiwatari's faces were immediately wiped off in order to be replaced with rather disconcerted ones.

Chuckling under her breathe, she slowly turned back around to face the front of the room and bide her time until the grand finale took place.

Glancing at the clock she saw that there was only eight minutes and 36 seconds until she would have her revenge.

She couldn't wait to settle the score, and even more so now after Ivanov's little fun this lesson.

He was soon going to regret slandering her.

After all, the worst thing that could happen to a perennial playboy was to raise questions about his sexuality right?

And as for Hiwatari?

Well, it turned out that his permanent record had come in handy in the scheme of things.

* * *

The resonating sound of a sharp 'knock, knock' echoed around the classroom as the door to the area opened and Mr. Kent stepped in.

Kurumi quickly turned her head at the sound and failed in suppressing the wicked grin that stretched itself across her pretty face.

Showtime.

"Please excuse the interruption Miss. Burghers," the Principal said to the teacher who nodded her head in understanding. She then directed her focus onto her pupils as she spoke to them collectively.

"Everyone, please leave your things where they are and follow Mr. Kent in an orderly fashion."

Following that pronouncement, every student in the room got out of their seats as fast as humanly possible, all eager to escape the confines of the horrid class, and made their to the door in the most dysfunctional of manners, Miss. Burghers screaming at them to be quiet.

Now, there was a contradiction if Kurumi had ever seen one.

Walking along with the rest of her peers, the blond girl acted dumb as to what was going on and shrugged her shoulders dutifully when questioned by a classmate.

She was seriously getting good at this whole acting thing.

"But if I had to guess," she started to say as they both rounded the corner into another corridor, a hallway where most of their lockers were situated, "I'd say random locker searches."

The other teen stared at her baffled until she followed Kurumi's pointed finger and her gaze fell upon the two sheriffs standing by the rows of lockers, waiting for Mr. Kent to return with the students.

"Why would they do this so early in the year?" the nameless girl inquired as she stared bemused at the two figures in their distinctive uniforms.

"Maybe to catch us off guard?" Kurumi suggested idly as she viewed the people around her, searching for two in particular. She located them easily enough as they were leaning against one of the walls seemingly bored with the whole state of affairs. Apparently they were under the impression that they had nothing to hide.

Well, weren't they in for a nasty shock?

Just then Mr. Kent instructed the surrounding students to line up along one of the walls and to come forward when their name was called in order to open their respective lockers so that they could be searched. As he said, they were beginning these kinds of things early in an effort to stem untoward and generally illegal behaviour before it got out of hand.

This declaration was met with copious amounts of eye rolls. The overwhelming consensus from most of the adolescents gathered seemed to be 'how stupid did the teachers think they were?'

The Principal disregarded this evident lack of conviction by starting to call names off of a list he was holding in his hands.

A few minutes later, Mr. Kent called out "Kurumi Avalon" and the well-heeled teen responded by stepping forward, calmly opening her combination lock, and then stepping back from the cabinet so that the two sheriffs could search the interior. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she was then allowed to re-attach the lock and fall back to her position on the wall.

This process continue for awhile until the Principal called one of the two names that Kurumi had been bouncing up and down with excitement to hear.

"Tala Ivanov."

Said boy ambled at his own pace to his locker and undid the lock at such a slow speed that Kurumi was sure the Earth had rotated around the sun five times before he was finished.

If she didn't know any better, she would have said that he was doing this on purpose.

Damn him.

Finally, the agonisingly slow seconds had passed wherein he had entered his combination, unlocked the door, and lazily stepped back. He didn't even bother watching the proceedings as he turned his back on Mr. Kent and the two members of the sheriff's department in favour of talking with Hiwatari.

And then, all of the golden haired girl's waiting had been undeniably worth it.

"Mr. Ivanov, just what is this?" the Principal asked in a strangled kind of voice as he indicated something that was stuck to the inside of the locker door.

"What?" the devil horned teen said in a confused sort of tone as he approached a spot just in front of his locker where he could clearly see what had provoked that kind of response from Mr. Kent. He wasn't the only one however. The rest of the assembled student body were also craning their necks to get a good look as well.

There, taped to the grey surface was a poster.

A handmade poster.

A poster that was comprised entirely of pictures of Mr. Kent with glittery pink and red hearts attached to every open space that wasn't taken up by images.

It was a poster worthy of an obsessed stalker.

Kurumi had to bite down hard on her lip to stop from laughing out loud at the expression on Ivanov's face. His jaw had literally dropped and he was spluttering incoherently, as the people around him started to whisper among themselves frantically at this juicy piece of gossip or else look on with incredulity.

Covertly, the blond teen moved her eyes from the redhead's shell-shocked countenance to that of his blue haired best friend.

Kai Hiwatari was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and with a knowing appearance as he gradually altered his line of focus to that of a certain shorter girl. Kurumi hurriedly looked back onto the scene in front of her, trying to seem as bewildered as the rest of her classmates at what was occurring, least she be found out already.

Shifting her gaze back onto Ivanov she was pleased to see that he was still having trouble forming a full sentence and had settled with an exclamation of, "That isn't mine!"

"Sure, and I suppose these aren't yours either?" one of the officers inquired as he held up a whip, a pair of fluffy handcuffs, and a magazine that was devoted entirely to male on male action that he had discovered within the depths of the metal box.

"Hell no!" was the shouted reply as the boy being questioned backed away from the offending articles and looked about on the verge of a heart attack, "I am strictly into women!"

"Oh, so does that mean you prefer to play the guy then?" someone yelled out from the crowd of gathered pupils, soliciting raucous amusement from the rest of the people there. Kurumi was almost beside herself with mirth as she watched Ivanov's pale skin turn a mottled red in colouration.

"Who the fuck said that?" he bellowed as he studied the crowd dangerously, attempting to pinpoint where the comment had come from so he could rip the pricks insides out his arse.

"Mr. Ivanov, control yourself," the Principal reprimanded as he tore down the poster that featured him as the focal point and winced minutely as he studied it, a frown marring his lined face before he decided, "Perhaps a visit to the school counsellor is in order."

"What?!"

"If you're feeling confused about your...preferences," Mr. Kent began awkwardly, "Then talking about it will probably help to enlighten you."

"I am NOT confused!" Tala Ivanov barked out as he glared at the Principal heatedly. If truth be told he had the uncanny resemblance to a wolf at that particular moment.

And it pushed Kurumi over the edge.

She couldn't contain her glee any longer and she subsequently broke down into a fit of giggles which, try as she might, she could _not_ stop. This continuous flow of laughter caught Ivanov's notice and the blond watched as everything clicked into place in his head as he put two and two together.

"You!" he accused as he stalked over with a homicidal countenance and a finger pointing directly into Kurumi's face.

"What's the matter Red? Feeling a little blue?" Kurumi asked ingenuously, before she added with an utterly evil undertone and indicating a certain bluenette, "Or perhaps that should be, wanting to feel a little Blue?"

The innuendo was not lost on Ivanov.

Ice blue eyes narrowed perilously as the tall boy towered over the shorter girl, but before he could do anything more, the bespectacled Principal interceded.

"Could you please stand over there, away from Miss. Avalon," Mr. Kent stated in a forceful tenor as he motioned the redhead away from the other teen and over to the other side of the passageway, "Quiet down everyone! We still have several students to get through."

As Mr. Kent said this, Kurumi mentally thought, 'One down, one to go.'

She could still feel the eyes of a very angry and, dare she say, pissed off adolescent boring into her as she simulated curiosity in the locker searches once more. Eventually, the numbers of lockers left unchecked began to dwindle as more and more pupils were cleared of any indiscretions and were free to line up with their fellow peers.

At last the name that Kurumi had especially been waiting to hear was called out.

"Kai Hiwatari."

Said teen swaggered up to where the Principal and the pair of officials stood and, Kurumi was pleased to see, hesitated vaguely before he turned the dial on his lock around to open it. It seemed that he wasn't as stupid as the air around him portrayed.

"There you go," he said as he treaded back a couple of steps to allow the sheriffs access to his locker and its contents, a hint of arrogance still lacing his tone.

A few seconds of silence passed as the adults present stared into the open locker and processed what they were seeing inside. At last, after what felt like eons, Mr. Kent spoke.

"Well, what is this Mr. Hiwatari?"

"What?" the bluenette asked baffled, and somewhat cautious, as to what exactly he was referring to.

"This," the older man stated as he pulled the object out of the confines of the metal cupboard and showed it to the boy in front of him, "It would appear to be a device they use to smoke marijuana."

"That's exactly what it looks like," one of the sheriffs added as he gazed with a nearly thoughtful expression on his visage.

Indeed it was.

There, in Mr. Kent's hand was a bong.

But it wasn't just an ordinary bong.

It was a bright candy pink in colour and there, to finish off the look, dancing around the base of it on clouds, were figurines of My Little Pony characters.

There was only one way to describe it and that was...unique.

And not in a good way.

All around people gasped and Kurumi watched as the conceited jackass' shoulder's tensed and she was glad to know that she was privy to the precise reason why.

In his permanent record there had been a list of reports that detailed all offences committed during his school career. Of these, there had been a few that were strictly drug related and it was these that had led to the formulation of her retribution. Anymore of these transgressions on Hiwatari's part and the consequences where going to be _very_unpleasant for him.

"Back to the office. Come on," Mr. Kent said in a voice that was entirely exasperated as he shook his head at the idiocy of the bluenette. Honestly, hadn't kids learned that if they were going to do those kinds of things, _not_ to bring them to school at the very least?

Some anonymous person from the group of students studying the drama unfolding carefully, suddenly said loudly, "Oh man, Kai's busted."

With that, the rather tall teen turned around on the spot and sought out a particular person with his crimson eyes. Finding the target that he was beyond positive was responsible for his current predicament he scowled deeply at her and drew a finger along his neck in a 'you're dead' motion.

Kurumi, in response, looked around with wide eyes and then did a 'who me?' gesture as if unsure who he was talking to. That act soon disappeared however, when she broke out into a smirk and winked at him condescendingly.

"This isn't over," the slate haired adolescent hissed at the blond as she exaggerated a yawn as if bored with the whole state of affairs.

"You're so cute," he spat sarcastically as he went to move towards her. A hand on his shoulder halted this movement though as the Principal raised an eyebrow at him. Instead the infuriated teen said darkly and threateningly, "Listen, I'll get you for this," before being steered away by Mr. Kent.

"Everyone else back to class please," the light brown haired man instructed over his shoulder to the rapidly conversing teens still standing in the hallway, "Except you Mr. Ivanov. I think we'll drop you off at the Guidance Counsellors office on the way."

"What!?" the redhead growled out embarrassed, still vehemently protesting the diagnosis the Principal had given him. After a pointed look from said man, however, Ivanov begrudgingly followed the foursome, pausing only when his friend did in order to throw a glare at a particular golden haired girl who simply smiled toothily and waved, calling out a bright "Toodles!" before following the rest of her classmates back to their Math double with a visible spring in her step.

* * *

"I believe the score now officially stands at one all don't you think Mari?" Kurumi asked euphorically as she stopped at the door to a toilet cubicle and turned to talk to the pink haired teen that was standing near the washbasins in the girl's bathroom.

"I do believe you are correct," Mariah agreed as she grinned at the blond's cheerfulness. Seriously, she had been like this ever since Math and it was rather infectious, "I still wish I could have been there to see it. But your play by play account did give me a sense of realism as I imagined what went down."

"I'm glad I could be of some assistance," Kurumi winked as she went into the cubicle and closed the door, leaving Mariah waiting for her outside.

A couple of minutes later, the evident noise of the door to the bathroom opening and closing sounded as two girl's entered, one, unfortunately, very familiar.

"...I know, sometimes I feel like sitting Amanda down and telling her, hon you're not that great," Holly said to her companion as they continued their conversation, unaware of the company they were with until the bleached haired adolescent spotted Mariah, who was trying to remain inconspicuous. "Oh, look who it is. How's life treating you at the freak show Mariah?"

Kurumi, who was still in the toilet stall, was listening intently to what her friend would say in response to such a greeting. She had come to notice over the days that she had known Mariah that she was an incredibly funny and sharp girl who was an absolute blast to hang out with. However, this completely disappeared whenever she was in the presence of those considered to be 'Teen Royalty' where she became shy, introverted, and scatter-brained.

It was a paradox that needed to be sorted out.

"Fine," the blond heard Mariah mumble out in a small voice.

"What are you doing in here anyway loser?" Holly continued amid the snickers of her ally, "Not trying to fix yourself up are you, because we all know that _that's_ a task that's gonna fail miserably."

The hot pink haired girl remained hushed as Kurumi was sure she was painted a bright red by now. Deciding that enough was enough, the teen chose to make herself known at that precise moment by flushing the toilet and unlocking the door to the cubicle she was in.

Playing it nice Kurumi said sweetly, "Oh look what the cat dragged in, and by the hair too," to Holly who frowned and sneered at the obvious insult.

"Shut it Avalon, was I talking to you?"

"No, but I do believe its common courtesy to greet those in your presence," she responded in a tone that one would use when trying to educate a five year old.

"Whatever. Let's go Ver," Holly stated in a disgusted accent as she ordered her pale blue haired, light violet eyed friend along, who was also looking on in undisguised revulsion at the other two teenagers.

'Another minion,' Kurumi thought to herself as she watched the duo turn to leave. Before they were out the door, however, she decided to give her favourite fake blond a piece of advice, "Oh, and Holly," the pair stopped, "If you insist upon being two-faced, at least make one of them pretty."

"What would you know Avalon, you're just a loser. Actually, scratch that. You're _both_ just losers," the plastically enhanced teen jeered deridingly at Kurumi and Mariah, who fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, we're losers," the Manolo clad girl concurred immediately, "But the coolest losers you'll ever meet."

"Yeah right," Holly laughed mockingly as she looked Kurumi and Mariah up and down, "If you were cool then you'd be hanging with us."

"But if we did, it'd be like Lady and the Tramps," the blond countered wearing an expression of expressed apology. This made the pink haired teen snort out loud and attempt to stifle the sound with one of her hands.

"C'mon, Hol, let's just go," Ver, who had not spoken yet, said as she ushered her friend away from the oncoming fight and out of the bathroom. Holly abruptly turned away with an immature 'humph' and followed her friend's advice.

As the door swung shut, Kurumi turned to Mariah.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Staring at Mariah from the corner of her eye as she washed her hands, Kurumi saw that she was looking at herself in one of the mirrors above the row of sinks with a somewhat forlorn expression. Not liking such a visage and generally curious, she couldn't help but inquire, "Why do you let them do it?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you let Holly and Amanda and their entire group walk all over you?"

The sound of Mariah sighing made the shorter girl focus her sole attention upon her friend as she waited patiently to hear the answer.

"I don't really know," she began slowly as she continued to gaze at her reflection, "It's not like I mean to. It's just that every time they speak to me I can never find the right words to say back, all of my awesome comebacks just allude me."

"Why is that?"

"I guess it's because I can never quite believe that they are talking to me, you know?" the pony tailed teen asked softly as she turned to face Kurumi, "It's like why would they want to, even if it is just to abuse me. Their all so far above me; their beautiful, rich, mostly intelligent, so why would they even want to bother with me –"

She stopped abruptly as her blond friend's angry face was suddenly shoved in front of hers.

"You should never think that you're inferior to _anyone_ Mari," Kurumi stated fiercely as she twirled the pink haired girl around and made her stare into her reflection, placing her face upon the taller adolescents shoulder as her own face lessened its aggressiveness, "You're all of those things yourself and so much more."

"That's easy for you to say. I bet you've never been picked on before because you're ugly," Mariah said as she kept her eyes downcast and avoided looking at herself in the mirror.

"You. Are. Not. Ugly.," the blond enunciated every word with force, "You're a total Snow White and I know a way to prove it to you."

"Uh-huh," was the sceptical reply from the taller girl who was now staring at her with an eyebrow raised and a cynical countenance, "I'm sure."

"Two words, Mari, two words."

"And that would be..."

"Make over."

* * *

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